


Further and Far Away

by Ediblecrayon, velvetjinx



Series: Creatures of Dark Air [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bonding, Dubious Consent, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff, Grief/Mourning, M/M, Mating, Miscommunication, Mutual Pining, because magical creatures can't get stds, dubious consent due to magic, past original character death, unprotected sex, various magical creatures - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-15
Updated: 2017-06-15
Packaged: 2018-11-14 09:31:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 19
Words: 28,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11205237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ediblecrayon/pseuds/Ediblecrayon, https://archiveofourown.org/users/velvetjinx/pseuds/velvetjinx
Summary: The thing about immortality was that time was a trivial concept.Minutes, days,yearsall blended together in an abstract haze of color and sound. It wasn't as though it really mattered; if something was forgotten, it wasn't worth remembering to begin with. The important things, those weretruememories; those pieces of time and space that latched on and never let go.Chris was by far thebestof Sebastian’s best memories. They’d been close for as long as Seb could remember, and he remembered enough to know that was pretty goddamn long.Then Seb had to go and fall for his dragon shifter best friend like a dumbass.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the first part of our Creatures of Dark Air series! Please heed the tags; additional warnings will be added at the beginning of the chapter they appear in. We hope you enjoy!

The thing about immortality was that time was a trivial concept.

Minutes, days, _years_ all blended together in an abstract haze of color and sound. It wasn't as though it really mattered; if something was forgotten, it wasn't worth remembering to begin with. The important things, those were _true_ memories; those pieces of time and space that latched on and never let go.

Sebastian’s _best_ memories though; now those were the ones that mattered, the ones cherished above all. Those were the ones that carved out a niche for themselves inside his very soul; seeped into his brain and embedded in his heart. The ones that he hoarded away in old photo albums and replayed in dreams, like classics on a never-ending film reel. Friends, family, travels, all things wonderful. 

And if Sebastian happened to have more memories, more dreams of a certain blue eyed dragon?

Well, that was no one's business but his own.


	2. Chapter 1

Chris yawned and stretched, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and pushing himself up. He wandered through to the kitchen, scratching his stomach sleepily through his thin t-shirt, and stopped short in the doorway. 

“Something here does not belong,” he said in a sing-song voice, and Sebastian looked up guiltily from where he was sitting at the counter, barefoot and eating cereal. 

“Uh. Hey.”

“You have no breakfast food at your place again?” Chris asked with a smirk, opening the refrigerator and taking out a carton of orange juice. 

“I, uh. I haven't been back to my place yet,” Sebastian said quietly, and Chris froze, as orange juice sloshed out of the carton into his glass. 

“Right. Of course. You went out hunting last night.”

“Don't call it hunting. That sounds so… crass,” Sebastian said distastefully. 

“So what would you call it?”

Sebastian shrugged. “Pleasure seeking?”

“Hmm.” Chris took a long swig of his orange juice. “That still doesn't explain why you're eating my cereal rather than going back to your own place.”

“What, I can't just come over and spend time with a friend? I'm hurt, truly.”

“And you had nothing at your apartment.”

“And I had nothing at my apartment.” Sebastian finished his last spoonful of cereal and dropped the spoon into the bowl with a clatter, before stretching. “Come on. Hurry up and get ready. I want to go to Anthony's shop and I don't want to go by myself like a loser.”

Chris paused, looking searchingly at Sebastian. “Why do you need to go to Anthony's shop? You don't normally practice magic.”

“Yeah.” Sebastian looked uncomfortable. “Thing is… I've been feeling recently like someone is watching me. And if they are I don't know what their intentions are, and it's making me nervous.”

Chris nodded. “Okay,” he said, finishing off his glass of juice. “Let me get ready and grab something to eat and we'll head over there.”

Sebastian's smile was blinding, and Chris escaped from the kitchen quickly. Having feelings for a friend was bad enough; having feelings for an incubus, who were not exactly known for having long term relationships, was worse. 

Chris sighed as he stepped into the shower. Not much he could do about it now. 

***

The walk to Anthony’s shop was relatively quiet, the two of them occasionally bumping shoulders along the way. 

It wasn’t that Sebastian was _nervous_ , per se, simply... cautious. Yes, cautious was the word, however unwarranted it was likely to be. It wasn’t as though being watched bothered him, quite the contrary in fact. He was more than used to being ogled at, it was all par for the course when it came to being an incubus. People making heart eyes, attempting to flirt, he’d even seen some drool once or twice, it was all in a day’s work. This, though; this felt different, eerie and sinister. Patrons at the bar undressed Seb with their eyes on the regular; this felt like someone was trying to undress his inner being, melt off flesh and bone and poke around whatever was left. 

Not wanting to think on it any longer, Sebastian cleared his throat and turned to Chris with a lift of elegant eyebrow. 

“What are your plans for the week looking like? I’m working the bar the next few days, finding some new friends to make time with, and then I’m all yours.”

The last four words were practically said on a purr, but Chris just gave a tired smile and a nod in return. 

“Sounds great, Seb.”

And wasn’t _that_ just a kick to the balls.

The thing about Seb was that he was a bit defective in the sex demon department. It wasn’t a lack of sex or people to feed from, he had those in spades; people really seemed to dig the whole ‘hot bartender’ thing. The real issue at hand was that incubi generally weren’t supposed to have _feelings_ for those they fed from. Sex was sustenance, a daily vitamin that was just a tad--a lot--more fun to take than your average supplement, and many incubi weren’t picky about how they got it. If they were actually decent, they asked for consent; some were even gracious enough to give their partner as enjoyable an experience as possible. While Seb most certainly fell into the latter category, the real problem was _Chris_.

Chris was by far the _best_ of Sebastian’s best memories. They’d been close for as long as Seb could remember, and he remembered enough to know that was pretty goddamn long. They had crossed paths back in Ireland, with Seb hailing from Romania and Chris visiting his clan. They were young-- _younger_ , anyway--and bored and yearning for something unexplainable. The pieces had slid into place from there, and they’d been a pair ever since. 

Then Seb had to go and fall for his dragon shifter best friend like a dumbass. 

It had dawned on him like a roundhouse kick to the face. It had been a week after they had met, making their way through Germany. Sebastian had glanced into those blue eyes just a second too long and then he was lost, falling down the rabbit hole that was loving Chris. But it hadn’t been meant to be. Chris had a mate, a lanky dragon shifter from Argentina with a killer smile and ridiculous hair. Sebastian had wanted to hate him. Instead he had found himself falling all over again, this time for the greatest friend he could ask for. 

If Chris was the best of his memories, Avery was certainly the brightest. And so their pair became a triad, and Sebastian had realized that being a defective incubus wasn’t so bad if it led to you to finding a soulmate or two. Avery as a brother and confidant, and Chris as his first and only love.

And then that triad devolved back to a pair, and nothing had been quite the same.

If he had to guess, Sebastian had to say the pivot point in his relationship with Chris began the night the two of them had gotten completely wrecked on ale brewed by some of the minotaurs. Chris had given him a crystal he claimed to have found in a shop somewhere, to “have a pretty necklace to match your pretty face Sebbbb.” It was a beautiful thing, smooth and gleaming black in the moonlight, melded to a silver chain. Sebastian hadn’t taken it off since that night, and the rabbit hole got even deeper.

Sex wasn’t really a concern. Sebastian liked sex, loved it, and was more than aware by now that Chris did too. Somewhere down the line a night of drinks and bad memories had led to pawing at one another on Seb’s couch. That was a few years back, and they never talk about it. They hadn’t stopped either. It was as though there had been a change of course, knocking one into the other’s orbit and never quite getting back on track. Instead they had adapted a new trajectory, one that revolved around the other, a planet orbiting a star. 

Apart from that, the stance of their relationship hadn’t outwardly changed; internally there was a section of Sebastian’s being that was now permanently cordoned off for Chris. That part stayed buried beneath a string of sex binges and seductive swagger, save for stolen moments in the dark when Sebastian would press the crystal to his lips and envision a new dynamic between them, friendship and devotion replaced by love and warmth. It stung like an open wound, but he made do, giving Chris the most important pieces. It was a big city with no shortage of prospects, so he never had to consort with the same company more than once. It was better that way, to have meaningless flings, tossed aside and easy to forget. Chris was the only one who deserved remembering, the only one deserving enough to see the broken splinters of his soul, to look his fill and breathe him in like vapor. And it was enough. Sebastian was far too much of a mess to ask for anything more than that. And Chris--

Chris’s heart was in enough pain already. 

They finally reached the door to Hearthstone and slipped inside, the protection spells inscribed within the doorframe humming in aquiense. To the ungifted and nihilistic, the storefront was one of a standard occult shop filled with incense and scented candles, some synthetic gemstones, a fake pentacle or two. This version largely attracted soccer moms and mall goths looking to complete an aesthetic, and more conspicuous customers appeared to be your run-of-the-mill shopper. 

The true shop was far more impressive. The interior was dimly lit with faerie lights, illuminating the room and wares in a comforting glow. The walls were lined with books, ancient tomes of guidance and power, singing out to those who sought them. Various charms, crystals and dried herbs hung from the ceiling while baskets of runes and power stones sat near the entryway. Spell boxes and bottles adorned the wooden shelves in tidy rows, soldiers ready for battle. A staircase towards the back led to a cellar containing powders, balms, and other essentials. 

“Hey, Anthony,” Sebastian called out as they approached the counter, dodging a blue haired Wiccan girl examining a Sabbat wheel. Anthony grinned widely, fist bumping each of them in turn. 

“Hey, guys. What brings you through my neck of the woods?”

“Just felt like browsing,” Sebastian said nonchalantly, eyes raking over the merchandise before meeting Anthony’s with intent. “I decided to look into some charms, wanted to see what you’d recommend.”

Anthony raised an eyebrow, taking in Seb’s stiff posture before responding with a slight nod. “I’ll see what I can do,” he said, moving away as the Wiccan girl approached the counter with her purchases. “Just give me five minutes.”

After a short while the girl exited, leaving the shop empty but for the three of them, and Anthony turned to them with a frown.

“All right, unless you guys are here to ask about scale rot again--which I am _still_ trying to forget about, thanks Evans--I call bullshit.”

“Nah, that’s for next week,” Sebastian snarked back, smirking when Chris extended a middle finger in Anthony’s direction. He rolled his shoulders, trying to ease up a bit before responding. “Just feeling a bit too many eyes on me lately, and not in the usual way. Mostly when I’m at the bar, sometimes at home. I don’t know if it’s anything to be concerned about, but it’s been a couple of days and it’s putting me on edge. I can’t sense anyone either, it’s kind of bizarre.”

Anthony’s frown deepened, and with a raised finger and a muttered “Hold on,” he headed to the cellar. He returned barely a minute later with a few smudge sticks of white sage, placing them in a silk pouch before handing them over to Sebastian.

“Here, burn these when you’re home and carry one around with you for the next few days. It should dissuade any negative energy directed towards you. In your case it’s probably some imp who’s bitter that she didn’t get to have a second go at you.”

“Wouldn’t want to ruin my reputation now would I?” Sebastian asked easily, sliding his payment across the wooden countertop. He sent Anthony a grateful smile as he pocketed the silken bag. “Thanks Mac, really.”

“Any time, Casanova. Hit me up later, we can talk shop and you can tell me all about your latest _conquests_.” He placed emphasis on the last word, eyes flicking to Chris idling by the doorway before snapping back to Sebastian in silent, blatant challenge. His efforts were received with a sharp glare and a mouthed ‘ _drop it_ ’ as Sebastian turned away. 

“You know for a warlock you’re too damn nosy for your own good,” Seb tossed over his shoulder as he shoved Chris out the door. “See you around, Anthony.”


	3. Chapter 2

As they left the shop, Chris tried not to show how much Anthony's reference to Sebastian's ‘conquests’ had stung. He tried to be logical about it: incubi didn't do long term relationships; Sebastian needed to eat regularly; he never went for the same partner twice as much out of concern for their safety as his; Chris would only be setting himself up to get his heart broken if he let himself have any kind of hope. 

But he couldn't help it. It wasn't like he'd asked to fall for his best friend, because that's what he was. Had been for centuries. After everything that had happened with Avery... But Chris cut off that train of thought immediately. It wasn't that he didn't think about him--he thought about him often, as a matter of fact, and almost without pain now. But he couldn't think of the way he'd lost him. It was too much. 

“You're quiet,” Sebastian said suddenly, breaking into Chris’s reverie and bumping their shoulders together. 

Chris shrugged. “Just thinking about what Anthony said. Do you think it could be an imp?”

“No idea. Could be. They're tricky fuckers.”

But Chris could hear the undercurrent of worry coloring his jocular tone. Instead of calling him on it, Chris said instead, “So what do you wanna do for the rest of the day?”

“No idea, but right now I could go for some coffee.”

Chris nodded his agreement, and they headed to a local hole-in-the-wall coffee house. It didn't look like much on the outside, and inside it was kinda dark and oppressive, but their coffee was the best in town and both Chris and Sebastian spent a lot of time in there. 

“Usual?” the barista asked them as they approached the counter, and they both nodded. Chris went to take his wallet out, but Sebastian stopped him with a hand on his arm. 

“My treat,” he said with a wolfish grin, and Chris wondered what the catch was going to be. 

However, free coffee was free coffee, so Chris nodded. “I'll get us a table.” He found them a table in a secluded corner, where the beams hung low over their heads, and waited for Sebastian to come over with their coffee. To his surprise, he arrived with a tray, on which was not just their coffees but two blueberry muffins. 

“Thought you might like a snack. Keep your strength up.” That grin was back, and Chris narrowed his eyes. 

“And why would I need to do that?”

Sebastian shrugged. “Can't I just be a good friend?” Chris gave him a hard look. “Fine, a good friend who needs a favor.”

Chris sighed. “What do you want?”

“Well, you see, the thing is…” Sebastian trailed off and took a sip of his coffee before continuing. “The thing is, the luscious morsel I picked up last night was delicious, but not terribly filling. Her aura was clogged, so the flow of energy wasn't great. Result is, I'm still pretty… _hungry_.”

“And just what do you expect me to do about it?” Chris asked snidely, but his pulse was quickening. 

“I was thinking we go back to yours, have a nice long tumble in the sheets, get my energy back up to acceptable levels. What do you say?”

“I say you've got a hell of a cheek.”

“Oh come on, Chris,” Sebastian said with a laugh. “It's not exactly a hardship for you. You get laid, and it's not like your core energy will deplete. The joys of being a dragon shifter, hmm?”

“One of these days I'm gonna fucking set you on fire,” Chris retorted, trying to swallow his irritation at Sebastian's presumption. “Besides, who says I need to get laid?”

“Oh please. How many people--aside from me--have you had sex with recently?”

“You know I don't do that,” Chris muttered, eyes narrowed. 

“I know, and hell if I know why. I know, I know, you mate for life, but you've never had a problem with our thing.”

“Yeah, well, that's different.” But it wasn't, not really. Dragons didn't give their hearts away easily, and those who held the heart of a dragon were usually honored. But Sebastian didn't know how Chris felt--couldn't know--and Chris wasn't about to tell him. He couldn't deal with the disappointment when Sebastian turned him down; even if he didn't, Chris didn't know how long it would be before Sebastian started to regret tying himself down. Besides, Chris wasn't sure if he was ready to take another mate. The guilt was still too strong. 

“You know he'd forgive you, right?”

Chris looked down at his coffee. “We're not talking about this.”

Sebastian sighed, then tried a different tack. “Come on, Chris. You know I can make you feel good.” Sebastian's eyes flashed gold as he ran his foot up and down Chris's inner calf, and Chris bit his lip, already feeling his cock begin to stir. 

“Okay, fine. But this had better be a damn good muffin,” he said shortly. Sebastian grinned at him, eyes back to their normal blue-grey, as they ate and drank in silence. 

When Chris had swallowed his last mouthful of muffin, Sebastian gave him a sultry look from under his eyelashes. 

“Your place or mine?” he murmured. 

“Mine.” Chris wanted this to happen on his terms, and Sebastian seemed to sense that as he nodded. 

“Let's go, then.”

The walk back to Chris's apartment was charged with tension, and they spoke only a few words to each other on the way. As soon as they were through the door, however, Sebastian was on him, nipping down his neck and pulling his t-shirt off. 

“Fuck, Sebastian, slow down,” Chris said with a gasp, as Sebastian bent to take one of Chris's nipples into his mouth. 

“Don't wanna,” Sebastian muttered against his skin. “Fuck, Chris, want you, _need_ you.”

Chris's heart thudded in his chest, but he pushed down the seed of hope that Sebastian's words had planted. He wanted Chris's energy; that was all. It was meaningless. 

They somehow managed to get the rest of their clothes off on the way to the bedroom, and Sebastian pushed Chris down onto the bed, climbing on top of him and rolling his hips so their hard cocks rubbed together. Chris groaned as Sebastian reached into the drawer in the bedside cabinet and pulled out the tube of lube. 

His breath caught in his throat as he noticed the black crystal he had given to Sebastian so long ago hanging from his neck. He got the feeling Sebastian wore it all the time, as Chris had seen it every time they'd had sex since, and something about that made his heart hurt. But Sebastian didn't--couldn't--know what it meant. 

Then Sebastian was kissing him again, and all coherent thought flew from his head. 

“Gonna ride you, Chris,” Sebastian said between kisses. “Want your big cock deep in me, gonna ride you until I scream.”

“Fuck yes,” Chris growled, and before he could grab the lube Sebastian had spread it over his own fingers, reaching back to open himself up. The sight of Sebastian wantonly fingering himself was so hot that Chris had to think cold thoughts as Sebastian gasped and whined above him. 

Sebastian looked down at him, pupils blown wide and rimmed gold, and he grinned. “Enjoying the show?” he panted, and Chris nodded. 

“Fuck, yeah. You look so hot right now, fingering yourself.”

“I like to think--oh fuck--that I'm hot all the time,” Sebastian joked, before biting his lip. “Fuck it, I'm ready, need you _now_.”

Chris grabbed the lube and slicked up his cock, holding it steady as Sebastian sank slowly down onto him. The tight heat, as always, felt amazing. Chris wondered briefly why they didn't do this more often, before remembering, and he hid a grimace. 

“Oh, fuuuuck, Chris, oh Chris, you feel so good,” Sebastian moaned, starting to move, lifting himself almost completely off of Chris's cock before dropping back down again. He set up a punishing rhythm that made Chris groan, then he looked down at Chris, placing his left hand on Chris's chest. “You ready?” he asked, and Chris nodded. 

He felt the magic begin to swirl around them and grit his teeth as Sebastian began to absorb his energy. While it was true that it didn't affect his core energy, it did still affect him generally--it was almost painful, bordering on pleasurable. 

Sebastian threw his head back and came hard over Chris's chest with a cry, muscles squeezing around Chris's cock, and Chris was spurred into action. He grabbed Sebastian's hips and fucked up into him twice, three times more, before his orgasm overtook him. His head dropped back onto the pillow beneath him and he panted, catching his breath as the sweat on his heated skin began to cool. 

Sebastian lifted himself off Chris's spent cock with a slight wince and flopped onto the bed beside him, leaning in for a quick kiss. 

“Thanks, man. I needed that,” he said, patting Chris's chest and screwing up his face when his hand came away covered in spunk. “Ugh. Shower time.”

“You know where it is,” Chris said, unable to keep the exhaustion out of his voice. Sebastian looked at him searchingly for a moment, before shrugging. 

“Okay. Be right back.” He left the room, and Chris covered his face with his hands. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take.


	4. Chapter 3

Sebastian pressed his head against the cool tile, exhaling shakily as scalding water cascaded from the showerhead. The response was always the same, but it still hurt.

It wasn't like he honestly expected Chris to join him, that wasn't how they did things.There was no affection between them, no warmth, no pillow talk or terms of endearment. There was only raw _want_ and _need_ , hard and rough, instinctual. It started, it ended, and they proceeded with their lives until the next time, short and bittersweet.

And each time they both pretended it wasn't destroying them inside.

As far as Seb knew, Chris didn't suspect anything; Seb was a pretty great actor and his incubi powers prevented Chris from scenting the sorrow running through his veins. Chris, though. The way Chris always looked when they finished made Sebastian feel as though he had pulled Chris’s heart from his chest and crushed it.

Sebastian had tried to stop it, once. Had pulled away and put distance between them, drowned himself in a cheap nymph brothel the next town over. That had worked for about three weeks before Chris had went and fished him out after a particularly bad nightmare about Avery. Dragged him back home and ripped into him about being a reckless douchebag. The epic screaming match that followed ultimately delved into raw, animalistic sex. It took nearly a week for the claw and bite marks to fade from their skin. He'd made a few half-hearted attempts to put the brakes on since then, but Chris would show up with that haunted look in his eye and they always fell back into this twisted dance of theirs, trying to fuck the pain away. Rinse, lather, repeat. 

Sebastian hadn't been lying when he said Avery would forgive Chris. Apart from Chris himself, Avery had been the kindest soul he ever knew. Chris was the sun to Avery's orbit, much as Avery had been the moon in Chris’s sky. Still was, and always would be, even after all these years. Seb might be a demon, he wasn't enough of a monster to take that away from him. 

So no, Sebastian hadn't been lying when he said Avery would forgive Chris.

But he wasn't sure if Avery would ever forgive _him_. 

_Anything ever happens to me, promise you'll take care of him, Seb._

He allowed himself to drift for a few more minutes, recollecting his thoughts best he could before switching the water off. His clothes were still on the floor of Chris’s bedroom, so he made do with a towel around the waist. The mirror was fogged with steam, and he wiped it away to squint at his reflection. The grey of his eyes stood out sharp and clear, and his skin was nearly glowing. Sebastian always perked up after a feed, but Chris’s energy was like the ultimate multi-vitamin. It was great, but that never stopped the guilt that always crept in.

He had intended on stalling for at least several more minutes, to give Chris enough time to come back to himself. But incubi ran cooler than others, and eventually the desire for pants won out against common courtesy. Heaving a sigh, Sebastian made his way back down the hall, steps a tad heavier than necessary to ensure Chris heard him coming. When he reached the doorway, he knocked gently on the frame. 

“Shower’s free,” he said quietly.

Chris lifted a hand in acknowledgement, but didn’t move from his position on the edge of the bed; hunched over and looking far smaller than anyone with such a muscular frame should have the right to. He was absentmindedly running his left hand across the bonding marks on his right arm. They had been beautiful, Sebastian remembered, heart clenching. Cerulean blue waves of magic to represent Chris, and soft shades of amber for Avery. Avery’s right arm had been covered in identical strands of energy, magic burning ever brighter with love and joy. Now the amber could barely be seen, hidden beneath mottled spots of black. 

Chris didn’t turn around until Sebastian had finished dressing, glancing over with red-rimmed eyes. It was a look Sebastian had seen on him many times by now, and each and every one made him feel like dying.

“I’m going to get cleaned up,” Chris rasped out. His voice was hoarse and the slightest bit unsteady. Sebastian pretended not to notice, even as his own throat seized up. He nodded, not quite trusting himself to speak. Chris brushed past him on his way out, pausing just before he crossed the threshold into the hallway. 

“What are you going to do now?”

Sebastian shrugged half-heartedly, “Don’t know. I’m working the night shift at the bar, but I’ll figure something out.”

There was a long moment of silence. Then--

“You can hang around for a while. If you want. Or don’t.” 

Then Chris was gone, followed by the sound of the bathroom door slamming shut.

Sebastian slumped against the wall, knocking his head against the plaster a couple of times in frustration. 

“Shit,” he muttered, pressing on his eyelids when his vision wavered.

_Shit_.


	5. Chapter 4

Chris sighed heavily as he heard the front door shut loud enough that it shook the entire apartment. He hadn't meant to be so abrupt with Sebastian, but sometimes he just didn't know how to talk to him; what to say to dispel the awkwardness between them after these encounters. 

He ran the cold tap in the sink and bathed his tear-stained eyes, sighing. He hated how torn he was between his feelings for Sebastian and the guilt he felt about betraying Avery’s memory. It had been nearly half a century now, but in dragon terms that wasn't that long--not when he and Avery had been together five times that. 

_Flying high above the mountains together, swooping and gliding and chasing each other through the clouds._

_“You're getting slow, Chris!” Avery shouted to him, and Chris laughed._

_“You think I can't keep up with you?” he'd called back, putting on an extra burst of speed as he soared through the air, feeling wild and free and loved…_

Chris let out a choked sob at the memory. They'd been so happy, until the hunters had come and…

But he wouldn't think about that. He turned on the shower, setting it to a temperature that would scald a human, and stepped under the steaming spray. He scrubbed himself pink, wondering if he'd ever feel clean again. 

As he dressed, he looked at the clock beside his bed. It was still early, and the bar wouldn't open until seven, so he had some time to kill. 

He thought for a moment, then grabbed his car keys. There was really only one place he could think clearly. 

When he reached the mountains, he parked in a secluded spot and stripped off. He stood a fair distance from his car, the cool breeze caressing his bare skin as he cleared his mind and began to shift. Whatever magic he had in him stopped the shift from being painful, which was just as well, as he felt his bones elongate and change. Scales grew all over his skin, and his teeth sharpened as wings sprouted from his back. 

Shift complete, he tapped his claws on the ground, before letting out a roar that echoed around the mountains. He crouched low, flapping his wings hard before taking off. As he soared, he felt his troubles fall away while the sheer joy of flight overtook him. This was who he was--not that human form. This was when he was truly happy. 

His blue-black scales glittered in the sunlight; not that anyone else could see them, of course. In his dragon form he was invisible to all other creatures, unless he chose to be visible. When he was invisible, only other dragons could see him. It made life a lot simpler. 

All too soon it was time for him to return to earth, and he landed gracefully to where his car was parked. He shifted back and dressed hurriedly, before driving back into the city. He felt a lot calmer, his mind a lot clearer, as always happened after he'd been in his dragon form. It was almost as though his human form wasn't big enough to contain all of his emotions, and he had to shift to deal with them. 

By the time he got back to his apartment, it was six p.m. He made himself a large steak and baked potato--shifting always left him starving--and switched on the TV as he ate. Current events always intrigued him; he'd seen so much human history that the changing times no longer fazed him. Besides, no way was anyone ever making him give up his iPhone. 

Dinner finished with, he washed up, before getting changed and heading out to the bar. 

Elements was a trendy bar in the city center, owned by a guy called Mark, who Chris had known for over a century now. Mark was a vampire, but he had been an empath before he'd been bitten; becoming a vampire had only heightened his empath powers, so he could never bear to kill his victims. 

He'd opened the bar about ten years ago, and since then it had become _the_ place to hang out for Chris and his friends. Of course, mortals frequented the bar too, but their group tended to stay in the VIP area, only venturing out to the bar to get drinks. 

It was still relatively early when Chris arrived, so the bar was not even half full. Given another couple of hours the place would be heaving and the doorman would have to limit the number of people going in, but for now it was quiet. 

He strolled over to the bar, smiling nervously when he saw Sebastian cleaning glasses. His heart clenched in his chest when he thought about what had happened earlier. He wanted to make it up to Sebastian, but he didn't know how. 

He slid onto one of the bar stools and rapped on the bar with his knuckles. 

“Hey, barkeep! You working or what?” he joked, and Sebastian looked up at him, eyes narrowed. 

“Yeah, I'm working. Unlike some people,” he said shortly, and Chris winced. His family had, as dragons do, amassed huge wealth over the centuries, meaning that Chris never needed to work. Sebastian, being a demon, was another story. 

“Gimme a Jack and coke?” 

Sebastian shrugged, and made Chris's drink with practiced ease. He set it down on the bar with a thud, and Chris passed him a ten dollar bill. 

“What are you doing after your shift?” Chris asked, in a desperate attempt to get Sebastian to talk to him normally again. 

Sebastian shrugged. “Feeding, probably,” he replied, a challenge in his gaze, and Chris gave up. 

“Fine. I'll see you later. Or not, whatever.” Chris took his drink and headed upstairs to the currently empty VIP area to drown his sorrows. 

*** 

It shouldn’t had hurt as much as it did. Chris always got locked in his own head for awhile whenever they fucked, that wasn’t the issue. The real kicker was when Chris managed to draw himself out of self-exile, smile thin and tight around the eyes; trying far too hard to pretend everything was fine. Sebastian learned long ago there was no use in talking about it, had learned to just accept Chris’s offer to get a beer and the arm slung across his shoulders. It was old hat by now, so it shouldn’t hurt. That didn’t mean it didn’t.

And yeah, maybe he was being unfair. He couldn’t begin to imagine how badly Chris was suffering. Losing a mate was devastating. The soul bond allowed one to feel exactly what emotions their mate was experiencing at their time of death. Fear. Agony. Regret at never being able to see their partner again. Many were driven insane with grief; some didn’t even survive, the strain on their mind and body far too great to handle. And having witnessed Avery’s death first hand, the fact that Chris was even _remotely_ considered to be a functional person was nothing short of amazing. 

So Sebastian stayed quiet, took all the baggage Chris dumped on him and tried not to think about how close he was to collapsing under the weight. If it did anything to ease some of the burden Chris carried, then so be it.

That didn’t stop him from being spitting mad right now. Chris was the love of his life, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t be a jackass sometimes.

Whatever. He didn’t want to think about it anymore. Exhaling through his nose, Sebastian turned his attention back to work. He pulled out the notebook with all their beverages and pulled the chalkboard with the night’s specials toward him. He had just finished updating the drink menu when he felt a warm breeze on his face, and he glanced up to address the guest who had just sat down.

“Scarlett,” Sebastian greeted, nodding to the blond fire fae before him, “Good to see you looking beautiful as ever.”

“Sebastian,” Scarlett returned with incline of her head. “How’s my favorite incubus been doing?”

“Never better,” Sebastian said easily, smiling with a nonchalance he didn’t really feel. “Your usual, right?” He turned to fulfill the order without bothering to wait for a response. Mixing drinks kept him busy, and he didn’t really feel like being the subject of Scarlett’s scrutiny.

“I find that a bit hard to believe,” he heard Scarlett say from behind him, “Considering your boy over there looks about as happy as a wet cat.”

“Not my boy. And not my problem.”

“Are you sure about that? Because the way you interact with one another suggests otherwise.”

“Drop it, Scar.”

“You know,” Scarlett drawled, her fingers drumming on the countertop, “dragons mate for life.”

Sebastian’s mouth twisted as he set her margarita on the bar with more force than necessary. “I am more than aware of that, yes.” 

It was still early, so it was pretty sparse as far as patrons went. On the upside, it was a break from the masses and gave him some time to secure a partner or two for later. Unfortunately it also meant he didn’t have any excuse to avoid Scarlett, whose eyes were boring into his like she could set them ablaze. 

He ignored the voice in the back of his mind that said she probably could.

Scarlett simply took a sip of her drink, regarding him as though he was a particularly interesting specimen she wished to dissect. She set the glass down and ran a glowing fingertip across the rim as she spoke.

“Then you should know that this thing you two have? It isn’t natural.” She lifted a finger when Sebastian made to interject. “In all these years you’ve known him, when has Chris ever been in a relationship--a real, committed relationship--apart from Avery? When has he ever been _remotely_ interested in anyone?”

A pinprick of blood welled up from where Sebastian was digging his nails--currently _claws_ \--into his palms. He wiped it on an old bar rag and glared at Scarlet. 

“Are you going somewhere with this? We’re known each other for ages, we’re _comfortable_ around one another; so yeah, we help the other scratch an itch here and there. It’s convenient and fun and it works for us. Obviously nothing is going to replace--” Sebastian broke off to stare down at a ring on the bar, “--what he had back then. Of course he’s not going to dip back in the dating pool, not when he’s already lost his heart and soul.”

Scarlett hummed in acknowledgment, glancing down as sparks began to chase her circling fingertips. “Things that are lost can always be found,” her eyes darted back to Sebastian, “and broken pieces can always be fit back together.” She smirked when Seb threw his hands in the air, lips curling into a frustrated snarl.

“Now you’re just being cryptic. Make your goddamn point already.”

“If you insist on being so brash.” Scarlet leaned forward, a flare of heat forming beneath Seb’s chin when she tipped it up with a nail. “For all your reasonings, have you ever asked yourself why Chris agreed to your arrangement? Why he hasn’t bothered to stop it, even though you have?”

“I _told_ you, we’re--”

“Comfortable, yes. Everyone knows how close you are. And _I_ know,” she added, pressing her fingertip a tad firmer against Seb’s skin, “that he will never say no to you. No matter what the circumstances, he allows you to come and go as you please, and he has never once asked anything of you. Nor,” they were almost nose to nose now, “Has he ever allowed anyone the same privilege. _No one_. In _decades_. Only _you_.”

Scarlett finally pulled back and tilted her head purposefully at her friend. Seb spent about thirty seconds staring at her like a gawking chicken before he snapped it shut. Then suddenly he leaned back towards Scarlett, his eyes distinctly more slitted and golden than before. When he spoke, his voice was low and furious.

“I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, Scar, but I suggest you stop it. He trusts me, he doesn’t have that with anyone else. And Chris doesn’t love unless he can trust. Why else do you think he hasn’t had another mate since Avery?”

Scarlett didn’t appear fazed in the slightest. Instead, she picked up her drink with shimmering fingers and saluted him with it.

“And _that_ is precisely why it isn’t natural.”

She stood up and dropped her payment on the counter, sending him a little wave and a smile as she sauntered away.

“Don’t be a stranger, you know where to find me.”

The sigils at the entrance of the bar chimed, signaling the arrival of the local nightlife. Sebastian rolled his shoulders and pasted on his most charming smile. At least work would be a welcome distraction.


	6. Chapter 5

Chris was still nursing his first drink when Scarlett put her drink down and collapsed heavily onto the seat beside him, flinging her arms around him and kissing him sloppily on the cheek. 

“Well aren't you a barrel of sunshine this evening,” she drawled when he shrugged her off. “Who’s bitten your tail?”

“Don't, Scar. I'm not in the mood.”

“And yet here you are, instead of moping at home.” She took a sip of her drink and gave him a long look. “Here, where you will actually have to talk to people at some point.”

“Yeah, well, I'm starting to see how that was a mistake,” Chris mumbled. He drained his drink and looked around. “I should probably head off.”

“Oh, come on, Chris, I just got here. You can't leave now. Stay.”

Chris could hear the magic behind the word and shook it off. “Don't do that, Scar,” he said angrily. “You know I hate it.”

Her blue-grey eyes glowed, and Chris reminded himself that Scarlett was not someone to be trifled with. As one of the fae, she could be very nice… or not nice at all. 

After a moment, she sat back, sighing. “Fine. Go, stay, it's up to you. But leaving won't make things any better.”

“And what do you know about it?” he spat. 

“I know that you and Sebastian are both idiots. I know you're just hurting yourself every time you sleep with him. I know you don't mean to use him, but that's exactly what it looks like you're doing. I know you're afraid to tell him how you feel about him.” Chris made as if to get up, but Scarlett clutched his arm, her perfectly manicured nails shining blood red in the dim light of the bar. “I know that you're both hurting each other, and I know it's got to stop.”

Chris sighed and leaned back, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“I know it's not easy to hear,” Scarlett continued gently, “but you're hurting. I know. I can feel it. Anyone who's remotely gifted can feel it. And I know it's been hard for you since Avery died--”

“Don't--”

“--but do you really think he'd be glad to see you suffering like this? Do you really think he'd want you to be bogged down with guilt for the rest of your long, long life?”

Chris saw Elizabeth walking towards them, waving, and turned to Scarlett. “Just… drop it, please?” he pleaded. 

Scarlett sighed. “Fine. For now. But think about what I said, okay?”

“You two look serious,” Elizabeth said brightly as she approached. “What's up?”

Chris shrugged easily. “Oh, Scarlett’s just busting my balls as usual.”

“So what's new?” Elizabeth asked with a grin. Elizabeth was a powerful witch, who specialized in healing. Her healing powers were greater than anyone in the country, but even she hadn't been able to save Avery. “Done anything fun since we last spoke?”

Chris swallowed. “Uh, nothing much. Went flying today.”

Elizabeth shook her head. “That's the only thing I envy you dragon shifters for. I'd love to be able to fly.”

“It is pretty cool.” Chris smiled, remembering the feeling of soaring above the clouds. “It's hard to come back down to earth though.”

“I wonder why you do,” Scarlett murmured, but Chris pretended not to hear her. 

“Who needs another drink?” he asked brightly, and Scarlett raised her hand as Elizabeth shook her head. “Back in a few.”

He headed down the stairs, making his way through the crowd. It wasn't that they couldn't see him, exactly, but as with all magical creatures mortals wouldn't notice him unless he deliberately meant for them to. It was how they could keep coming to the same places for decades without mortals noticing that there was something amiss when they didn't age. 

He passed by Jeremy, who was at the piano getting ready to play for the evening, and motioned to him to see if he wanted a drink. Jeremy nodded, and Chris continued to the bar which was now packed with a cacophony of mortals. He waved to Chris Hemsworth, who also tended bar, and he stopped flirting with one of the hot girls long enough to come over and bump his outstretched fist. 

“Hey, man! You look like shit.”

“Thanks,” Chris said, with a hollow laugh. 

“He's not wrong,” Zoe, another bartender, added as she mixed some bright pink concoction. 

“Anyone else wanna dog pile?” Chris asked snarkily, but Sebastian was over at the other end of the bar, talking to some pretty young thing that he was probably going to end up with by the end of the night. 

Hemsworth followed his gaze and gave him a sympathetic look, but thankfully said nothing. “What can I getcha?”

“Two beers and whatever the hell Scarlett drinks,” Chris replied. 

Hemsworth nodded and started making the drinks while Chris surreptitiously watched Sebastian down the other end of the bar. The girl laughed, then Sebastian leaned over, tucking her hair behind her ear and suddenly Chris felt sick. He turned away, waiting for Hemsworth to finish the drinks, then dropped his money on the counter and grabbed the glasses, saying a short goodbye him and Zoe as he navigated his way through the crowd. 

He left Jeremy's beer on top of the piano and headed back up the stairs. Robert was sitting next to Elizabeth, laughing about something, and Chris smiled. Robert had been a hunter, had hated all magical creatures and had wanted to take them all out. That was until he had been captured by some wyverns who were trying to take over the city. Chris and some of the others had been alerted to the wyverns’ location and had arrived just in time to save Robert before he was eviscerated. 

Suffice it to say Robert had been a whole lot friendlier after that, and was now a valuable member of the group. He still hunted, but only evil creatures, with a guy named Frank. Frank didn't often join them, however; he preferred to stick to planning his next hunt. 

Chris greeted Robert, then sat back, sipping his beer distractedly as he looked over the railings, watching Sebastian flirt. Maybe Scarlett was right. Maybe he should say something. 

He sighed, as he saw Sebastian lean in to whisper in the girl's ear. Maybe later. 

***

Okay, so maybe he was putting on a bit of a show. It was petty and he knew he would regret it later, but it was worth it to see Chris stomp around like an indignant child. 

It didn't hurt that the girl in front of him was easy on the eyes and sassy as hell. She had long, white blonde hair and sharp, violet eyes. Her skin was smooth porcelain, making her look like a living doll. She was pretty damn gorgeous, and Sebastian felt oddly lightheaded speaking with her, everything and everyone around them no more than a dull buzz. Apparently she was passing through on her way to some sort of gathering. Judging by the breezy white dress she wore and the overbearing scent of flowers, she was probably one of the fae. 

“So,” Sebastian murmured as he topped off her drink, “What is it going to take for you to tell me your name?”

The girl giggled and sent him a wink. “ I don't tell my name to strange men.”

“Wellll,” Seb drawled, letting the word roll off his tongue, “I guess we'll have to change that, won't we?”

“I guess we will.” The girl smirked back. She finished the last of her martini and stood, dropping her payment on the bar. She extended her hand with a sly smile. “I have a feeling we'll be seeing other again soon, Sebastian. I think you and I could be very close.”

Sebastian took her hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “Until next time then.”

Another wink, and she was gone.

It was though the bubble had popped, and all the noise and babble of the bar came rushing back in. When Sebastian regained focus, he found Zoe staring at him strangely. 

“Yes?” he asked sweetly, fluttering his lashes.

“I don't think I've ever seen someone affect you like that,” Zoe said slowly, a frown creasing her beautiful tan features. There was a brief lull in the flow of customers, and they were taking the time to restock and fetch glasses while they talked.

“Like what? It was flirting. I'm an incubus, it's what I what I do.”

“That wasn't flirting. That looked like you wanted to bow down at her feet.”

Sebastian felt his face heat up. “It wasn't like that. She’s nice, she's interested, and sex is part of my lifestyle. Didn't hurt that she was attractive, either.”

Hemsworth wrinkled his nose as he passed them carrying a tray of dirty glasses. “Sure, if you like the smell of roses mixed with decay.”

Sebastian opened his mouth to ask what he was talking about when Zoe cut him off. 

“Just because sex is your thing doesn't mean you should use it to punish yourself. Or,” she added, propping her chin up on a hand, bangles clacking, “your dragon friend over there. I don't know him well, but I have eyes. It's not my place to ask your history together, but I see how he looks at you. You might be surprised at what the two of you may have to say to one another.” 

Sebastian stayed quiet, watching a fat black beetle (and where did _that_ come from?) scuttle across the countertop before flying off. When Zoe realized he wasn't going to respond, she continued.

“Besides, you should consider yourself lucky you were working with us tonight. Can you imagine what Hayley would say had she been here?”

 _That_ got Sebastian to snap his head up, and he groaned. “Goddamnit. I'm on shift with her and Dominic tomorrow. You know Chris is going to tell her about this, which means she's going to rip me a new asshole.”

Hayley was a harpy and Chris’s closest friend apart from Sebastian. Sometimes he felt like she even surpassed him on the friendship hierarchy. She was clever and funny and tough as nails, and she had a good heart. She also loved to read Seb the riot act whenever the opportunity arose. Sebastian maybe hated her just a little. Dominic on the other hand was an alchemist with a penchant for mixing hazardous chemicals and elements. He was brilliant and sarcastic and a royal pain in the ass.

“You know,” Zoe said in a low voice as they prepared to continue serving--drink orders were rolling in again--“as much as Hayley might give you shit about him, she doesn't approve of the way Chris is either.”

Sebastian snorted. “Yeah, I'm sure she doesn’t.”

“I mean it. I won't repeat what she said because it isn't my business, but she doesn't hate you.”

Then she glided toward the middle of the bar to take orders, leaving Sebastian with his own line of customers to deal with.

Time went rather quickly after that, and soon enough he was grabbing his jacket and preparing to leave. Elements was open until sunrise, but Sebastian's shift ended at three a.m. Before he left, Zoe grasped his arm and fixed him with a meaningful look.

“Remember what I said.”

“Yeah,” Sebastian said with a resigned sigh, heading for the door, “ I will.”


	7. Chapter 6

Chris awoke the next morning with a raging headache that had nothing to do with alcohol and everything to do with how he'd been grinding his teeth during the night. He only did so when he was particularly stressed, and he hated it. 

He showered quickly, then wrapped a towel around his waist and meandered through to the kitchen, stopping short in the doorway. Once again, Sebastian was barefoot, sitting at the counter, but this time he was eating toast. His eyes widened when he saw Chris, his gaze turning hungry, but Chris ignored him and went straight to the coffee machine. 

“Uh. I had nothing at mine again,” Sebastian said at length. 

“And you've not been home yet?” Chris responded without turning around. 

“No, actually, I went home as soon as my shift finished.”

That _was_ a surprise. “That woman turn you down?”

“As if,” Sebastian scoffed. “I think she was a fae, or something. She smelled really strongly of flowers. But no, she didn't turn me down. I just never made the offer.”

“Huh.” Chris's heart was thudding in his chest. Sebastian never did that; never let an opportunity to feed pass him by. Chris was almost afraid of what it meant. 

He smacked the top of the coffee machine, which was refusing to cooperate, and Sebastian laughed. 

“You need to get a better coffee machine, man. That one is a piece of shit. C’mon. We'll go out for breakfast. My treat.”

“You just had breakfast.”

“Yeah, but I'm still hungry. Please?”

Chris knew an olive branch when he saw one, and nodded. “Okay, but I can't stay with you for long. I'm meeting Hayley at eleven.”

Sebastian made a face, and Chris hid a grin. Sebastian and Hayley didn't exactly get on, although they liked each other more than they'd ever admit. 

“Fine, abandon me for the harpy. See if I care.”

Chris let that one slide, since she was literally a harpy, though he had the feeling Sebastian meant it differently. 

“Gimme five minutes to get dressed,” he said, and Sebastian nodded. 

As they sat in the coffee shop chatting over breakfast, Chris felt himself relax. They'd gone back to their easy camaraderie, and for that he was glad. He hated it when things were awkward between them, but he never knew how to fix it. 

At ten thirty, he stood. “I'd better get going,” he said reluctantly. 

“Will I see you at the bar later?” 

“Probably. Where else would I be?”

“Awesome,” Sebastian said, smiling softly. “See you tonight.”

Chris waved as he left, trying not to think about how it almost sounded like he and Sebastian were going on a date. 

Hayley was already waiting for him at the park, sitting on a bench and looking resplendent in a red summer dress. She waved him over and he went, sitting beside her and kissing her on the cheek. 

“Hello, darling,” she said, smiling, before observing him closely. “You look like shit.”

“That seems to be the general consensus, yeah,” Chris replied with a sigh. “I think Sebastian is the only one who hasn't told me that.”

“Probably because he doesn't want to draw attention to the fact that it's his fault, which I assume it is.”

“Hayley,” Chris began, his tone a warning, and she patted his hand soothingly. 

“All right, darling, I'll lay off him for a while. But I take it you slept together again.”

Chris shrugged. “He needed an energy boost,” he said, his tone slightly spiteful, and Hayley's eyes narrowed. 

“I will never understand why you let him use you like that.”

“He doesn't. Well, he does, but I'm using him too, apparently. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement.”

“Who said you were using him?” Hayley looked incensed and Chris hid a smile. 

“Scarlett. And before you say anything, she's right. I need--I need to tell him how I feel.”

“I agree, you do. And if he hurts you I'll kill him.”

Chris knew she wasn't even joking a little bit. “Do me a favor and don't say anything to him about me tonight? I know you're working tonight's shift together.”

Hayley sighed. “Fine. I won't say anything. I'll want to, though.”

“I know.” Chris kissed her on the cheek. “I know.”


	8. Chapter 7

There was still a few hours to kill before work, and once again Sebastian found himself at Hearthstone, leaning against the counter while Anthony pulled down books for reservation. Anthony had grown to become his closest friend, and it was easy to feel comforted by his presence. Even if he did live to bust Sebastian's balls.

“So,” Anthony began as he placed the books down, “How are things?”

“Alright, more or less.” Sebastian shrugged. “ Work is work.”

Anthony levelled him with a _look_.

“You know what I mean.”

“Do we always have to talk about my sex life?”

“Only when it involves your boy. Everyone else is just boring.”

Sebastian made a noise of complaint and pushed off the counter. “How many times to I have to tell you that he isn't my boy?” He scratched absentmindedly at his wrist, a strange ache in his chest. “He isn't my _anything_ , really.”

Anthony’s eyes were sad as he bound the books together. “He's your oldest friend. The best one you have.”

“Sometimes I don't think we're even that anymore. He keeps shutting me out. It's gotten even worse since we started screwing around.”

“Then maybe it's time for you to stop.” Anthony's voice was uncharacteristically gentle. “He's miserable and trying bury his grief. Chris doesn't know how to stop running, Seb, and you don't know how to stop chasing after him.”

“I don't think I can,” Sebastian admitted quietly as he passed a hand over his face. “He's the love of my life, Mac, even if I know he'll never feel the same way.”

_I made a promise to Avery_ , he didn't say. _I promised to take care of him. How am I supposed to do that when he won't let me?_

A heavy silence hung in the air for the rest of the afternoon until Sebastian finally straightened up with a weary sigh. “I should get going.”

“Work?” 

“Yep. A bartender’s job never ends.” Sebastian spread his arms for emphasis. His shirt sleeves rode up a bit, and when Anthony's eyes tracked the movement his face went carefully still.

“What happened there?” He pointed to Seb’s left wrist, and the latter glanced down.

“Just a bite. It's insect season, they've been everywhere. There was a beetle in the bar yesterday and I pulled another one out of my sneaker this morning.”

Anthony didn't speak for a moment while he examined Sebastian’s wrist. When he did his voice was overtly casual.

“You run into anyone strange lately? Anything happening out of the norm?”

Sebastian scrunched his face up to think. “None that I can think of. I've been burning the sage every night and I keep some in my jacket. I have been pretty tired lately, but that's probably stress.”

Anthony didn’t look convinced.

“You said you felt like someone was watching you. Has that changed?”

“Kind of, I guess? It doesn't feel like someone's looking over my shoulder anymore, now it's just a feeling in the air.”

“It may not be anything to worry about, but would you mind if I stopped by your place next time you're free? Maybe I can get a feel on something.”

“Sounds good,” Sebastian agreed, giving Anthony a hug as he made his way out. “Thanks for this, Mac, I really appreciate it. Stop by the day tomorrow, it's my day off.”

“Will do,” Anthony called after him. “Take care of yourself.”

Sebastian waved back and then he was out the door, heading down the path that led to Elements. He was early, but Dominic and Hayley were already there when he arrived, and he suppressed an eyeroll. He had been hoping to sneak in beforehand; Hayley’s stares always made him feel like he was doing the walk of shame. Dominic not so much, but Seb liked to hide anything flammable for when the other bartender felt especially creative.

Thankfully Hayley didn't offer anything more than a polite hello, but he felt her eyes tracking him throughout the night. The shift ran smoothly; Dom and Hayley weren't his favorite people, but they were damn good at their jobs, and the three of them made an excellent team.

He was only an hour away from freedom when the strong smell of lilac and hydrangea wafted in and his thoughts went a bit fuzzy at the edges.

The blonde haired young woman was sitting in the same corner she was last, beckoning him with a delicate pale finger. When Sebastian approached her she leaned over to press a kiss to his cheek; his skin tingled where her lips brushed. He snapped himself out of his daze and flashed her a winning smile.

“I wasn't sure you'd come back.”

“I told you I would,” she chastised playfully, sliding a hand down his arm. “We have a connection Sebastian, and I'm not going to resist the thread that ties us together.”

“Which is?” 

The woman’s smile grew. “Something very powerful.”

“If you say so, doll. What can I get for you?”

“I'm afraid I can't stay tonight,” she said, smoothing out her white dress. “I still have some errands to run before I go on my way. But don't worry, I won't leave without saying goodbye.”

“That a promise?” Sebastian smirked.

“Of course.”

“And am I correct in assuming you still won't tell me your name?”

“That you are,” she affirmed, and stood up to leave. “But soon. I promise I won't keep you waiting.”

Then she left, leaving Sebastian to gape after her like an idiot. 

He was still staring when he was startled out of his stupor by a pair of fingers snapping in his face.

“ _What_?” he asked irritably, turning around. Hayley made a face as she pulled her hand back.

“You were standing there like a fool. I wanted to make sure you didn't have a coronary.”

“Well as you can see I’m still alive,” he grumbled, then winced and pressed a hand to his temple. When did it get so _loud_?

He turned back to Hayley, bracing himself for the third degree. He didn't get it. Hayley was still staring at him, but instead of looking angry, she looked concerned.

“What was she saying to you? You looked rather friendly with one another.”

“We're not. She's passing through and she comes in to flirt. You really didn't pick up any of that?”

Hayley arched an eyebrow. “I couldn't hear anything. It sounded like you were whispering to one another. Not words either, just nonsense.”

Sebastian looked dubious. “That was definitely a full conversation we just had.”

Hayley didn't seem at all satisfied with that response. “If you say so.” She glanced up at the clock affixed above the piano. “You're free to go, darling.” 

“Great,” Sebastian said distractedly, as he rubbed at his cheek and he gathered his things. “See you guys later.”


	9. Chapter 8

For once, Sebastian wasn't in his kitchen. Chris thanked the powers that be for small favors and fixed himself some cereal and a glass of orange juice. 

He drove out to the mountains again, shifting easily and soaring up above the peaks and clouds for hours. When he finally landed he felt better better than he had done in days, and realized he'd missed lunch. He was on his way back to the city when his phone rang. He answered, sending up a prayer of thanks for hands free. 

“Yeah?”

“ _Chris! Where the fuck are you?_ ”

Chris blinked. “Sebastian? You okay?”

“ _I'm fine. I'm at your apartment but you're not there and I couldn't reach you on your cell!_ ”

“I was out flying,” Chris said with a laugh. “What, were you worried?”

He heard Sebastian sigh down the line. “ _Yeah. I don't know, I just had a weird feeling and then I couldn't get in touch with you._ ”

“It's okay, I'm fine,” Chris said soothingly. “You working tonight?”

“ _Nah, not tonight._ ”

“Stay there. We'll order pizza and watch something with lots of explosions.”

“ _Okay. And Chris? Stay safe_.”

“You too.”

Sebastian ended the call, and Chris frowned. Now what the hell was that all about?

When he arrived home, Sebastian was waiting on his doorstep. 

“You do have a key, you know,” Chris said with a grin. “You could have let yourself in.”

“I did. That's how I knew you weren't here. But I was getting antsy waiting for you to get back.” Sebastian stood, and nuzzled his neck; Chris felt his body respond even as he cursed it for doing so. 

“Sebastian, come on. What are you doing?”

Sebastian began to kiss a line down his neck to his shoulder, pulling his t-shirt aside so he could reach the skin there. “Come on, Chris, just a little snack.”

“Sebastian, no, we just got home and I need dinner,” Chris said helplessly. 

“But I'm _hungry_.”

“And we'll order some food.”

“I'm not that kind of hungry and you know it. I haven't eaten in two whole days. You can let me snack before the food gets here.”

Two days? That was unusual. Chris sighed. “Fine,” he said resignedly, and Sebastian's eyes flickered gold. 

Chris led Sebastian inside the apartment, and as soon as they reached the bedroom Sebastian pounced, tearing Chris's clothes off in a near frenzy. 

“Fuck, Sebastian, slow down,” Chris said with a gasp, but Sebastian shook his head, finished with Chris's clothes and starting on his own. 

“Can't. Fuck, Chris, I need you so bad.”

Sebastian's eyes were wild, shining bright gold already, and Chris cupped his cheek, kissing him gently. 

“And you'll get me, but you need to slow down, okay? I've got you, Sebastian. I've got you.”

Sebastian nodded, and suddenly the energy in the room calmed. Chris led Sebastian to the bed and pulled him down on top of him. 

“What do you…?” Sebastian asked, trailing off uncertainly, as if unsure of his welcome. 

“Want you to fuck me,” Chris responded, swiveling his hips so their hard cocks rubbed together, and Sebastian whined high in his throat. He grabbed the lube out the bedside cabinet and slicked up his fingers, settling himself in between Chris's spread thighs as Chris pushed a pillow under his hips. 

Chris's hands clenched in the sheets as Sebastian teased at his asshole with lube coated fingers, just playing, until Chris bit out, “Fucking hell, Sebastian, will you just finger me already?”

Sebastian grinned, as if he'd been waiting for Chris to beg--he probably had, the little shit--and eased a finger inside. Chris bit his lip as Sebastian worked him open, occasionally leaning down to kiss him. Chris kissed back hungrily, knowing that this would have to be the last time they did this as a casual thing. He had to tell Sebastian how he felt. 

Sebastian pressed a second finger in and crooked them up, and Chris's hips came off the bed as he moaned. Sebastian continued to relentlessly rub at that spot inside him as he fingered him, and it was driving Chris out of his mind with pleasure. 

His cock was hard and leaking over his stomach, and when Sebastian finally added a third finger his eyes nearly rolled back in his head. 

He grabbed Sebastian's arms and growled, “Fucking fuck me already, dammit.” Sebastian leaned down and kissed him again. 

“Now who’s impatient? Don't worry, baby, I'm gonna take good care of you.”

Chris looked up at Sebastian curiously. They'd never used endearments like that before, but he assumed that Sebastian was just caught up in the moment and let it slide without comment, mostly because then Sebastian was pulling out his fingers and spreading the lube over his cock. 

Sebastian grasped Chris's hand with his free hand as he positioned himself, then began to push inside. Chris gasped at the familiar feeling of blunt pressure and stretch, willing his body to relax. When Sebastian was fully inside, hips pressed against Chris's ass, he leaned down and kissed him, the crystal around his neck resting on Chris's chest. 

“Yeah?” Sebastian asked, voice strained, and Chris nodded. Sebastian began to move, slowly at first, then picking up the pace as Chris began to urge him on, nails digging into Sebastian's back. 

“Oh god, fuck, Sebastian,” Chris moaned. “Fuck, you feel so good.”

“God, so do you, Chris, love fucking you, _fuck_ ,” Sebastian said between panting breaths. “You ready?”

Chris nodded, and Sebastian placed his hand on Chris's chest. Chris felt the familiar magic around him and closed his eyes, trying not to fight it. The pleasure-pain of it drove him higher, and he cried out as his orgasm overtook him suddenly, dimly hearing Sebastian groan out his name as he came too. 

They lay there for a few moments, sweat-soaked skin sticking unpleasantly together, before Sebastian pulled out slowly. Chris winced at the discomfort of it, feeling Sebastian's spunk drip down his thighs, and sighed. 

“We need to talk,” he said with a sigh. 

“Do we?” Sebastian sounded both sleepy and sated, and something inside Chris broke open. 

“We can't keep doing this, Sebastian. It's not healthy for either of us.” Chris hoped that Sebastian couldn't hear the waver in his voice. 

Sebastian turned to him, eyes wide and disbelieving. “You're kidding, right? I feel healthier than ever after a round with you.” He grinned cheekily, and Chris saw red. 

“I'm not kidding, Sebastian. This ends now.”

Sebastian looked at him, paling, and Chris wished he could take it back, but it was done now, and he knew--he hoped--it was for the best.


	10. Chapter 9

He knew it’d happen eventually. It’d been a long time coming and things were more strained than ever between them. But it stung more than he’d anticipated, and Sebastian felt himself falling, even if it was better this way. 

And then there was that small, tiny piece inside, that spot that belonged only to Chris; the one that loved Chris more than there were stars in the heavens. The one that sacrificed every ounce of pleasure and joy, that took Chris’s pain away and made it its own. The one that just kept giving with nothing in return. And it was _pissed_.

“Alright,” Sebastian said slowly, trying to swallow down the anger that rose in his throat. “Can I ask why now?”

“I just told you, it’s not healthy for us.”

“Riiiight,” Sebastian said with a humorless laugh, a cold echo that bounced off the walls, “Like this was ever healthy to begin with.”

The muscle in Chris’s jaw jumped. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean? I’m doing this for us.”

“No,” Sebastian snapped, jabbing a finger at Chris as he started to pull on his boxers, “You’re doing this for _you._ This was never a good idea to begin with, and if you remember correctly, Christopher, _you’re_ the one who started it. _You_ came to _me_ that first time.”

“And now I’m ending it,” Chris shot back, rolling off the bed to glare at Sebastian. His eyes looked more reptilian than they had a moment ago. His arms were crossed defiantly over his chest, his stance rigid. And there you had it, ladies and gentlemen, the Chris Evans defense mechanism.

“Is that how it is? You say the word and suddenly it’s law.” Sebastian hopped into his jeans and buckled them, then grabbed his hoodie off the floor. There was a beetle crawling on the sleeve and he flicked it away irritably. “Like I haven’t tried to stop it before. Like I didn’t pull away because I knew how fucked up this is. And you just kept pushing, so I stopped trying. It didn’t matter what I wanted back then, but because _you_ want it over with--”

“I never heard you make any complaints whenever you’d show up on my doorstep like a cat in heat. I never heard you refusing a quick and easy fuck whenever _you_ felt like it,” Chris snarled. “You’re not a saint Sebastian, so quit playing the goddamn martyr.”

“You think I don’t know that?” Sebastian shouted, the hoodie flapping about as he gesticulated with his arm in fury. “I know I should have tried harder. I was a selfish bastard and I’ll never forgive myself for that. But I couldn’t do it. I didn’t want to stop and I knew you didn’t either.”

Sebastian inhaled deeply, trying to speak as evenly as possibly. “You were grieving, Chris. You still are. You were devastated and lonely and you wanted to numb yourself so you didn’t have to feel it anymore. You needed an anaesthetic, and I was it. I couldn’t take that away from you.” He look Chris directly in the eye and his tone went wistful. “You’re my best friend, man. I love you and I’ll follow you anywhere, but you can’t keep shutting me out. I know you miss Avery, you two had something bright and wonderful and you loved one another; nothing can replace that. I can’t even begin to understand what’s going on in your head or the pain you’re going through, but Avery wouldn’t want you hurting like this.”

Chris breathed forcibly through his nose, his eyes hard and filled with a rage he’d suppressed for far too long. It makes Sebastian’s heart clench.

“You don’t _understand_? Of course you don’t fucking _understand_ , Sebastian! Avery was _everything_ to me. I would have _died_ for him, given anything, _everything_ to have him back. He was the light of my life and he’s _gone_ and nothing makes sense without him.”

“I know Chris--”

“No you _don’t._ You don’t know a goddamn thing, Sebastian, because that? That was _love_ , and you? You’re a fucking _incubus_. You’re not capable of love, or grief, or _anything._ You just feed and leech off of my energy. You take _everything_ until there’s nothing left and you don’t fucking _care_.” 

And that?

Hearing that from, kind, beautiful, wonderful Chris; Chris who was suffering inside and was living with only half a functional heart? _That_ was _agony_. 

Sebastian couldn’t see what his facial expression looked like, but it must have pretty fucking bad; when Chris finally turned to fully look at him his face morphed into something horrified.

“ _Shit,_ Seb, I didn’t mean--”

“Yeah,” Sebastian cut him off. His eyes burned and his voice cracked and it was fucking _awful._

“Yeah, I think you did.”

Then he pulled on his hoodie and zipped it before he flew out the door, leaving Chris to babble behind him. He was halfway down the road when he realized his shirt was still lying on Chris's bedroom floor, but there wasn’t a chance in hell he was going back for it.

It was mid afternoon and the sky was dreary and overcast and it felt like he’d been walking _forever_. He reached his apartment and was immediately accosted with a familiar aroma; jasmine and daisies now. The woman from the bar was standing outside his door and she extended a hand, pulling him close while the other rested on his cheek.

“What are you doing here?” Sebastian asked. His voice sounded miles away and he felt hurt and miserable and he was so _tired_. He looked out to the road as if he might find an answer but of course there was nothing.

There were beetles crawling on his mailbox.

“I told you I would come to say goodbye.” Her touch was gentle when she carded her fingers through his hair but it felt _wrong_. “Let me in, Sebastian. I can make the pain go away. I’ll make you whole again.”

He wanted to say no. Any other day he would be more than willing, but today was not that day. He didn’t need to be whole, he needed to bury himself in cigarettes and whiskey and crawl into bed and not think about Chris. 

He considered saying no. He felt like he should.

Instead he gave up and said “yes” and allowed her to lead him inside.

If he wasn’t so disoriented he would have wondered how she knew where he lived and why his door was unlocked.


	11. Chapter 10

Chris sat on his bed, feeling completely numb. He knew that he needed to go after Sebastian, to apologize, but he knew there weren't enough sorries in the world for what he'd said. 

He hadn't meant it. He hadn't, not really. But Sebastian had mentioned Avery and all the hurt and rage had just come bubbling out. Chris was pretty sure he'd remember the look in Sebastian's eyes for the rest of his life. 

He scrubbed his hands over his face and realized it was wet. He hadn't even known he'd been crying. The look on Sebastian's face when Chris had said… _that_ to him rose unbidden to his mind again, and he began to sob--harsh, painful sobs that sounded so loud in the quiet of his room. 

When he finally managed to calm himself, he pulled on his clothes and picked up his phone. He thought about calling Sebastian, but had the feeling he wouldn't pick up. Besides, this wasn't the sort of apology you have down a phone. Instead, he dialed the one person he knew he could talk to about anything. 

“ _Hello?_ ”

“Hayley?” Chris couldn't hold back the tears as they welled up again, couldn't fight them as they fell. “Hayley, oh god, I've screwed up really bad.”

“ _Chris? Chris, honey, what's the matter? What happened?_ ”

“Sebastian and I, we… we had a fight. I said some terrible things to him and now he's gone and I think I've lost him, Hayley. I think he's gone for good.”

There was a moment of silence, then Hayley sighed. “ _Oh, Chris, it can't be that bad. You two have been friends for a long time. I'm sure you'll work it out_.”

“No, you don't understand,” Chris said helplessly, wiping furiously at his eyes. “I practically told him he was just a leech who didn't have the capacity to feel anything and, god, you should have seen his face. It was like I'd stabbed him through the heart. I've never seen him so hurt.”

“ _Oh._ ” 

“Yeah, and now he's gone, he just ran out, he even left his shirt…” Chris picked it up off the floor and buried his nose in it, taking a deep breath. It still smelled like him, a mixture of smoke and something earthy, and Chris bit his lip. “I just don't know what to do.”

“ _Chris, don't you think that maybe… maybe this is for the best? What you two had wasn't healthy. Maybe it's time to make a clean break._ ”

“But, Hayley, I can't. I love him,” he finished with a whisper. “He has my heart, and I need him with me. As a friend, if nothing else.”

“ _Oh, Chris_.” Hayley's tone was sympathetic. “ _Does he know?_ ”

“No. I was going to tell him, but then we got into this big fight and…”

“ _Do you want me to come over?_ ”

Chris thought for a moment, then shook his head. “No, thank you. I need to figure this one out on my own.”

“ _Okay. Well, I'm only a phone call away if you need me._ ”

“Thanks, Hayley.”

They said their goodbyes, and Chris ended the call.

He knew he had to take the first step with Sebastian, and thought for a moment, before trying his cell. It rang for a while before going to voicemail, and Chris hung up. He wasn't going to leave Sebastian an apology in a voicemail message. 

“Okay, Sebastian,” he murmured. “You get one day. One day, then I'm coming to find you.”

Feeling determined, Chris went through to make himself something to eat. There was no way he could plan on an empty stomach, and he badly needed a plan.


	12. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter contains dubious consent due to slight magical influence, false identity and Sebastian being in a very negative and emotional state. However, he still gives full consent and is completely aware of his actions and surroundings. There is also gore and mentions of blood. Please skip this chapter if you find any of these things triggering.

Somehow they made it to his bedroom, and she helped divest him of his clothes before pressing him into the mattress. She didn't bother undressing herself, just hiked up the hem of her dress and climbed on top of him.

It felt like a dream. His thoughts were hazy and his limbs ached as he mouthed at her neck, making his way up until he could press his lips against hers. He normally wasn’t a big fan of kissing unless it was Chris-- _perfect, asshole Chris_ \--but he felt so empty that he couldn't bring himself to care.

She gripped his back and rocked against him, nipped at his lip and trailed fingers down his spine. He traced his tongue against hers in retaliation; she opened up and he just wanted to drown himself in it and _forget_.

She tugged at his shoulders, signaling for him to move up, and they reversed positions. He propped up on his forearms, looking down at blond locks and porcelain skin. She was beautiful but she wasn’t _him_. The woman rose up to murmur in his ear, her nails scratching down his back as she writhed beneath him. 

It felt like a dream, but it was not the one he wanted.

There was another scrape of nails down his back, and he blinked. His hips were still pumping but the rest of his body was like lead, his head filled with cotton. The hushed tones in his ear became more urgent.

When he shifted some of his weight off his right arm the crystal swung between them. 

Chris’s crystal.

Given to him so long ago. He wondered if Chris noticed it earlier when they were in bed. Why did he leave again?

Another scratch of nails down his back. It burned.

Right. Their fight.

There was a sudden rake of pain down his back and he actually winced. He tried to pull away but the woman clung tight, chanting something he didn't understand. He felt _weak_ ; why did he feel so weak when he should have been getting stronger?

There was a strong sense of _wrong wrong wrong_ that vibrated through his veins and his skin felt too tight, too warm. The woman pulled back a hand to cup his face and her nails were sharp and stained with red.

He pushed through the fog and mustered up enough strength to glance over his shoulder. His back was slick with blood, but he could just make out the markings carved into his flesh.

Sigils.

The woman-- _witch,_ his foggy brain supplied--grasped his face in both hands and jerked him back to her. Her eyes glowed white; chilling and soulless and _evil._ A wave of pain wracked his body, and he realized she was siphoning his energy. He wanted to shove her away but he was helpless; a puppet with its strings cut, and tossed in the fire with the rest of the trash. 

His vision whited out. When he came back to himself his own face was looking back at him.

The witch stroked a pale hand against his skin, and he watched his own lips curve into a smile.

“I'm afraid this is farewell,” the witch said regretfully, but it was Sebastian's voice that emanated from her mouth. She bent down to leave a burning kiss on Sebastian’s forehead, and though his vision was blackening at the edges he realized she had changed into his clothes.

“Thank you for leading me to your dragon. I promise you he will serve me well.” 

A final caress, and she straightened up, slinking to the door like a deadly predator. Sebastian was just able to make out her parting words as he slipped away.

“I will tell Christopher you said goodbye.”

***

Chris stared at his phone, frustrated. After he'd eaten he'd tried Sebastian's cell five times, to no reply. He knew Sebastian was probably ignoring him, but he was determined to keep trying. 

As his finger hovered over the call button again, there was a knock at his door. Thinking that Hayley had decided to come over after all, he pulled open the door, and gaped. Sebastian stood there, smirking, casually leaning against the doorframe as though they hadn't had a massive fight a couple of hours ago. 

“You just gonna stand there or are you gonna let me in?” he asked, his voice sounding huskier than usual. 

A beetle landed on Chris's arm and he shook it off. Fucking insects. 

“Uh, sure. Come on in.”

He moved to one side and Sebastian brushed past him, glancing around the apartment as though he was looking for something. 

“You, uh. You left your shirt here,” Chris said quietly, and Sebastian looked at him, then down at his own chest. 

“Oh, right.”

“I'll go get it.” Chris went through to the bedroom, feeling even more confused than he had when he'd answered the door. He grabbed the shirt and returned to the living room, handing it over. “I've been trying to call you.”

“My phone’s been off,” Sebastian said, shrugging. He pulled off his hoodie to pull on the shirt, and Chris stared at his bare chest. 

“Where's your crystal?”

“My what?” Sebastian asked distractedly as he buttoned up his shirt. 

“Your…” This was all wrong. Something was not right at all. Chris sniffed surreptitiously and the scent of decay entered his nostrils. 

_That's not what Sebastian smells like_ , his mind supplied slightly hysterically, and he strode up to Sebastian, grabbing him by the collar. 

“Chris?” And oh, whoever this was they were good at acting, eyes wide and innocent, but it wasn't him. 

“Who the hell are you and what have you done with Sebastian?” he growled. The imposter looked at him for a moment, then smirked. 

“Christopher, Christopher. I admit I thought I'd have longer with you, but if you're going to be like that…” The imposter’s eyes glowed white, and Chris let go of the shirt, stepping back. 

“Where's Sebastian, _witch_.”

She shrugged, the gesture achingly familiar on Sebastian's body and yet not at the same time. “He's fine. Or not. But you'll never know, I'm afraid. I promised him I’d tell you he said goodbye.” A large athame slid out of her sleeve into her palm and Chris tried to shift into his dragon form to protect himself but couldn't. He felt magic crackling in the air around him and realized that she had cast some sort of spell to prevent him from shifting. 

“You really think you're going to escape that easily?” she asked with a laugh. “Really, when I've been planning this for so long? You're not going anywhere.” She held out her hand and ropes appeared out the air, silver ropes which wrapped around his body, binding him. He squirmed, trying to break free; when he couldn't, he let out a roar and tried to charge at her. But the ropes snaked around his legs, tripping him up, and he landed flat on his face on the floor. 

She rolled him over onto his back and straddled him, holding the athame above his heart. “The still-beating heart of a dragon. Do you know what that's worth to someone like me?” She pressed a finger against his forehead, and he felt a stinging as her nail dug in. He could the blood dripping dorm as she lifted her finger to her lips. “Mmm, dragon blood is so divine,” she said lazily. “If I had time if bleed you out; dragon blood crystals are so expensive, and here I have you at my disposal. In fact, I think I might bleed you a little.”

She grabbed his arm and sliced into his wrist, catching the blood in a vial which she took from her pocket. Chris tried to throw her off of him, but with such a limited range of movement it was impossible. 

When the vial was full, she let his arm drop again. “Now for your heart,” she said with a dark smile. “This will hurt a lot, so brace yourself.”

She began to cut, and Chris began to scream. He didn't think he'd ever stop screaming.


	13. Chapter 12

_Promise me you’ll take care of him, Seb._

Those words echoed in his mind, a lonely sailboat caught in an endless storm. 

_Promise me, Sebastian._

The promise he swore to keep but kept failing at, over and over again.

_Promise me Sebastian._

_Sebastian_

_Seb-_

“-ASTIAN!”

And okay, one of these things was not like the others.

“God fucking _dammit_ , Stan, wake up! You die on me I'm chasing after your sorry white ass just so I can kill you again!”

The urgency in that voice stirred something in Sebastian's addled mind. Anthony. Anthony was in his apartment.

Sebastian forced his groggy lids open, struggling to sit up. “I'm okay,” he rasped, “She just hexed me.”

“Oh yeah that’s _real_ reassuring,” Anthony snapped, but his hands were shaking as they pulled Seb into a sitting position, eyes worried. He shifted behind Sebastian to examine his lacerated skin. “Tell me what happened. A dark witch was definitely here; the front walkway is infested with beetles, and these sigils scream black magic.” Anthony pressed his hands to the wounded flesh, fingertips glowing blue. “This was for an identity spell. She sapped a lot of your strength and you're going to feel like shit until I can figure out what to do, but you're not in any real danger.”

Sebastian pressed his fingers to his temples to ward off the throbbing in his skull. “Yeah, she's been following me for a couple of days. Kept showing up at the bar, said--” 

The memories of their recent encounter came rushing back, and Sebastian felt all the blood drain from his face.

_Thank you for leading me to your dragon._

He shot up from the bed, ignoring Anthony’s surprised squawk and the way his stomach heaved in protest. “Anthony,” Sebastian panted, lunging in the direction of his dresser, “We need to find Chris. That's why she was after me, to get to him. She took on my appearance before she left so she's probably looking for him right now.”

“Mother _fucker_ ,” Anthony swore, jumping to his feet. “She's gonna try to harvest him, and based off the hex she put on you it's gonna be for some evil shit.”

Sebastian was only half listening, struggling to pull on clothes without passing out. “We got into a big fight earlier, I don't think he would have wanted to go anywhere. He should still be home unless he went flying.” He practically tore off the chain around his neck and flung it at Anthony. “He gave that to me ages ago. Can you glean traces of his energy from that?”

Anthony caught the necklace and held it up at eye level. The crystal glowed blue with magic and he shut in eyes in concentration. When the glow faded he tossed the crystal back to Sebastian and whipped out his cell phone. “He's home. I'm calling Elizabeth and having her meet me there, hopefully we can intercept the witch before she finds him. You should--”

“ _No,_ ” Sebastian snarled before Anthony could finish, slipping the chain back around his neck and under his shirt. “I'm going with you.”

“Sebastian, you can barely _walk_.”

“I don't fucking care. He's my best friend and he needs me.” 

“Alright, alright,” Anthony conceded, jamming his phone back into his pocket. Sebastian was stubborn as a bull and they didn't have time to argue. “Just _please_ stay out of the line of fire. Thank god I chose to drive today.”

Once they made it into the car, Anthony gunned the engine, sending them speeding towards Chris's house. Sebastian propped his pounding head against the window and pulled up Chris's number on his phone. “Christ, Chris, please answer,” he hissed, trying to convince himself that his blurred vision was a side effect of the witch's spell. 

There was no answer, and Sebastian's breath hitched in his throat.

Several agonizing minutes later they pulled up outside Chris's house and tumbles out of the car. As they bounded up the walkway, a bloodcurdling scream pierced the air, and Sebastian's heart dropped into his shoes. Anthony thrust out a hand and the front door flew off the hinges, allowing them to barrel inside.

The witch was leaning over Chris’s prone form, clutching a ceremonial blade that was already buried a few inches in his chest. When the witch looked up, her eyes landed on Sebastian, and she smiled.

“I see you've come to say goodbye in person.” She had transformed into the blonde woman again, but her skin was cracked with lines of black magic, and her eyes were chalk white again. She looked like a broken china doll. The markings on Sebastian's back flared painfully, and he braced himself against the wall as the room spun. The witch smirked.

“You don't look so well, Sebastian.” Anthony threw a wave of magic at her but she deflected it easily, and a freezing wind blew around them. “You should rest. Christopher has already started resting.” She dragged the knife across his left pectoral and poised it above his heart. Chris groaned in pain, but seemed unable to emote any other reaction. His forearms were bloody and his chest was bloody and there was so much _blood_ \--

Sebastian felt his knees buckle and he slid down the wall. He was starting to fade again; Anthony's attacks weren't doing any damage and it was so _cold._ He shuddered, trying to fight the wave of fatigue pulling him under.

Then Elizabeth came charging in like an angel that descended from the heavens, filling the room with pure light. The witch looked over in fury, barely a second, but the distraction was enough. Anthony sent out a pulse of magic that knocked the blade from her hand, sending it clattering across the floor. The witch hissed in outrage, and the bone chilling wind picked up again, sending everyone sprawling. She wasn't powerful enough to take on a warlock _and_ a white witch, and she was mapping her escape.

As she swept toward the door, Elizabeth sprang up and latched onto a clammy wrist with both hands. Pure white magic pulsed up the dark witch's arm and she screamed in pain. The wind crackled with black energy, swirling around the two witches like a tornado. The dark witch wrenched her arm from Elizabeth's grip, blasting her backward; Anthony sent out tendrils of magic to catch her. The crackling whirlwind spun around the dark witch, enveloping her in a funnel. Then it dissipated, and the witch was gone.

Elizabeth alighted down gently before hurrying over to drop down beside Chris. She ripped through what was left of his shirt to press her glowing palms to his chest. “His wounds are very deep,” she said, “And he has lost a lot of blood. I’m going to have to do a transfusion spell.”

“Did she pierce his heart?” Anthony asked, as he headed over to where Sebastian was attempting to drag himself across the floor. He bent down and secured a arm around Sebastian’s waist, then hefted him up so they could rejoin Elizabeth.

“No, his heart is undamaged. She most likely wanted it intact.” Elizabeth glanced down to where Chris’s chest was slowly knitting itself back together. Once the gash was replaced by line of puckered skin, she pulled out a sharp silver knife and sliced into her forearm. When a smooth trail of blood began to run, she made a shallow slit in Chris’s arm as well, then clasped his hand so that their skin was pressed flush to one another. A soft white glow rose from their joined hands and traveled up their arms, engulfing the rest of Chris’s body. “Dragons are very powerful, and black magic users often favor their scales and organs in spells and potions. It appears she took some of his blood as well.”

There was a strangled sound, and it took a moment before Sebastian realized it had come from him. Anthony gripped his shoulder in reassurance, eyes full of pity. Flecks of moisture gathered on Sebastian’s eyelashes and he made to brush them away; his entire face was wet and his shoulders were heaving. 

“Is he going to be okay?” he choked out, reaching to hook two fingers around Chris’s limp ones. “This is all my fault, we should have been faster and she _got away_ \--”

“He will live,” Elizabeth interrupted gently. “His injuries are severe, and he will need some time to fully recover, but you both arrived before things could get any worse. As for the witch, I branded her.” She lifted the hand not occupied with Chris’s and turned it so Sebastian could see a rune glowing on the back of it. “She is also injured. White magic is very painful against black arts users, almost like fire. She won’t get very far.”

“I’ll contact RDJ and Grillo, they’ll find her,” Anthony adds.

When Elizabeth was satisfied the blood transfusion was successful, Anthony helped her move Chris to his bedroom so she could wash off the blood and apply healing balm. Sebastian took out his phone to notify Chris’s brother of what happened and to assure him that Chris would make a full recovery. Last Sebastian had heard, the rest of the family was on business in the mountains, and he didn’t want to cause any alarm, especially when Chris was stable. When Anthony reemerged, Sebastian scrubbed a hand down his face and grabbed the sofa to lever himself to his feet.

“I need you to take me back to my place,” he managed hoarsely. When Anthony opened his mouth to interject, Sebastian turned to him with pleading eyes. “Please, Anthony. We got into a big fight before this whole mess happened, and I don’t know if it’s a good idea for us to be around each other right now. We both said some stupid things, and he’s going to stress himself further by feeling guilty. He needs to heal, I don’t want to get in the way of that.”

Anthony nodded in understanding. “You know he’s going to want to see you though,” he said gently, “No matter what happened between you guys, you’re going to be the first thing on his mind when he wakes up.”

Sebastian cracked a watery smile. “You’re probably right, but I want him to have that choice. If he’s upset and needs time I don’t want to be in his face. He has enough going on, so space is probably the best thing right now. I want this to be on his terms, he’ll talk to me when he’s ready.”

“I can’t fault you for that,” Anthony agreed. “Let me just clean this up,” he gestured to the blood and debris, “and we’ll head back to your place. I want to see if I can do something about those sigils and I don’t think you should be alone right now. And Seb,” he added, his voice full of sympathy, “You’re going to need to feed. That witch took any energy you already gained, and now you’re suffering the effects of a hex.”

Sebastian shook his head vehemently; that proved to be a mistake when sharp pain wracked his brain. “No, I can’t. Not after what happened, not while Chris is around. If I have to I’ll go somewhere out of town after Chris wakes up, but now… I can’t.”

“You know you’re only going to make your condition worse right?”

“I’ll be fine. I’ve gone a few days without before. It’ll feel like a really bad flu and it’s going to suck, but I’ll manage. If it gets unbearable I can always take care of things myself. It’s not ideal, but it'll tide me over.”

Anthony sighed, looking up as if asking for strength. “Alright. After we leave here we need to stop at my place so I can grab some supplies, and then slumber party at yours. Deal?”

Sebastian managed a weak twitch of the lips. “Deal. I'll even let you hold back my hair when I throw up.”


	14. Chapter 13

Chris was in pain as he floated on the edge of consciousness. Why was there so much pain? His memory supplied a vision of Sebastian, only it wasn't Sebastian, it was a witch… witch… witch… _witch_ …

“Witch!” he cried out, arms flailing as he jolted awake. The pain in his chest and arm flared and he groaned, looking around him. The witch was gone--he was in his own bed, arm and chest wrapped in bandages, and his brother was sitting by his bed, looking startled, a book dangling from his hand. 

“Hey, big bro,” Scott said softly, laying the book down on the bedside cabinet. “You gave us a bit of a scare, there.”

“What happened?” Chris croaked, and Scott shook his head, taking the glass of water from next to him and offering it to Chris. 

“Here. Have a sip of this.” He held the glass up to Chris's lips, and Chris sipped at it obediently. “A witch decided she wanted your heart,” Scott said, setting the glass back down. “She used Sebastian to get to you, and you're such a dumbass you let her in.”

“I thought it was him,” Chris said slowly. “We'd had a fight earlier and I thought he'd forgiven me, maybe, but something wasn't right. She cast a spell on me so I couldn't shift, then tied me up and started cutting…”

He trailed off, squeezing his eyes shut as though he could erase the horror. It was almost like Avery all over again, except that Avery hadn't survived--had died in his arms--but Chris had. Part of him wished he hadn't. 

Scott gave him a look as if he knew what Chris was thinking. “Come on, Chris. Talk to me.”

“I guess I just…” Chris sighed. “Maybe it would have been better if I hadn't come through it, you know? Avery’s gone, I've screwed everything up with Sebastian who’s never gonna want to see me again after what I said to him…”

“Okay, first up, don't talk like that, okay?” Scott said angrily. “You have a lot of people who care about you. And secondly, if Sebastian never wants to see you again, how come he came to save you?”

Chris's eyes widened. “What?”

“Anthony found Sebastian, weak as fuck in his apartment, and Sebastian sounded the alarm and insisted on coming with. He called me to tell me, and by all accounts only left because he didn't think you'd wanna see him.”

Chris gaped. “I didn't know.”

“Yeah, well, now you do.” 

“What about the witch?”

“RDJ and Grillo are out hunting her now. Elizabeth marked her so she should be pretty easy to find. We're gonna make sure she doesn't try this again.” Scott's eyes were dark with anger, and Chris tried to sit up when a jolt of pain went through him and he fell back onto the bed with a cry. 

“What did she do to me?”

“Jesus, big bro, be careful! She took some of your blood then tried to cut out your heart. Elizabeth told me she had to do a transfusion because you'd lost so much blood, and she healed you up pretty good but you're still gonna be in pain for a few days.” 

“Yeah, no kidding,” Chris responded, wincing. “Hey, Scott?”

“What?”

“Would you do me a favor?”

Scott looked at him consideringly. “Go on.”

“Will you go and see how Sebastian is doing? If that witch worked her mojo on him he's probably pretty weak, so he's probably gonna go out and feed, and I'm…” Chris trailed off with a sigh. “I just need to know if he's okay.”

“What, and you can't pick up your phone? Never figured you for a coward, big bro.”

“It's not cowardice. It's self-preservation. I need to know he's okay, but if he's been having sex with other people I don't…”

Scott's expression turned understanding. “Okay, I'll go see him. But you have to promise me you'll talk to him about this, because things can't go on the way they have been.”

Chris nodded. “I know.”

“Okay. I'll go tomorrow when you're feeling a bit better and--”

“No! You have to go today,” Chris interrupted. “If he thinks I don't want to see him, then… he needs to know he's wrong.”

Scott sighed and scrubbed his hand over his face. “Fine, but let me call someone to come over in case something happens.”

“Call Hayley. She'll love that.”

“Okay,” Scott said with a laugh. “I'll call her now.”

“Thanks,” Chris responded, before dropping his head back on the pillow, exhausted. He closed his eyes, and was asleep before he knew it. 

***

Placing himself on a sex embargo was far more difficult than Sebastian had anticipated. The last time he had gone without a feed had been decades ago; it had been three days and it hadn’t been by choice. Right now he was on day four, and the hex the witch placed on him certainly wasn’t helping. Elizabeth had cleaned the lacerations on his back and bound it with bandages soaked in healing balm, but she hadn’t yet been able to find a way to reverse the actual spell. Anthony had submerged himself in a sea of books since having made camp in the den yesterday. He might’ve felt like shit, but Sebastian still made sure to crawl down the hallway every few hours to yell reminders at him to take breaks. And sleep.

There was a rap on the bathroom door, and Sebastian barely managed to croak out a “Come in,” before he was retching into the toilet again. The door creaked open behind him.

“It’s looks like a library threw up in your living room,” a voice said by way of greeting. “Jesus Christ, you look fucking terrible.”

Sebastian wiped his mouth on the back of his sleeve, resting his sweaty forehead against the cool porcelain with a pitiful moan. “Fuck off, Scott,” he rasped, tossing the finger over his shoulder. He pressed the handle to flush, then hauled himself up and around into something that vaguely resembled a sitting position. He gestured to the opposite wall. “If you’re here to talk you’d best take a seat, I’m going to be expelling my insides for a while.”

Scott wrinkled his nose, closing the door before sliding down to sit against the wall. “It’s a good thing I know you’re a freak about cleaning your house. Otherwise I’d be worried.”

Sebastian rolled his eyes, tilting his head against the vanity. “How’s Chris doing?”

“Woke up for a bit, got all self-deprecating, made me rush over here to check on you.” Scott crossed his legs into a pretzel, shifting to a more comfortable position. “I’d ask how you’re doing, but I have a feeling the answer is ‘not good’.”

“I’ve definitely been better,” Sebastian agreed wearily. “Elizabeth’s coming over later to work with Anthony on canceling out the spell the witch put on me. It should stop sapping my energy as much as it is if Robert and Frank are able to kill her.” He sighed, looking down as the tile flooring. “In order to cast the spell, she branded me. It’s really dark magic and really powerful, and there aren’t any spells or anything to remove the sigils. Anthony’s been burying himself in all kind of spell books since we got here, but he’s not going to find anything. The hex won’t be active anymore, but it’s still going to weaken me because of all the negative energy.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Scott held up a hand, brow furrowing, “You mean they’re _permanent_?”

“Basically. There are alternatives, but they’re not the most advisable. Or safest.”

“But...you’re going to do it anyway.”

“Can you blame me?” Sebastian looked up, his eyes pained. “She pretended to be someone from the bar. If I was paying more attention I would have noticed something was off about her.” His voice cracked. “It’s my fault she was able to get the jump on Chris. I can’t have that reminder on me.”

Neither of them said anything for a few minutes. Then Scott spoke up, his voice echoing off the tile. 

“He doesn’t blame you, you know. He wants to see you; said you guys got into a fight and he wasn’t sure you would forgive him.” He fixed Sebastian with a meaningful look. “Wouldn’t say what it was about though.”

“We--he ended things. We argued, he said some stupid things he probably didn’t mean, I left.” Sebastian waved a hand. “What’s done is done, I’m not gonna get bent out of shape because he hurt my feelings.”

Scott breathed out slowly. “Whatever he said--it was something really bad, wasn’t it.” Sebastian didn’t respond, and Scott sighed. “Seb, my brother’s an asshole, but he really cares about you. He wants to see you. You both know what was going on wasn’t healthy, he probably--”

“I’m not mad about that,” Sebastian interrupted forcibly. “And I don’t think that’s a good idea right now. He might not realize it now, but the whole witch thing is probably going to mess with his head. He needs time to heal, and honestly,” Sebastian ran a hand down his face, looking frustrated, “I think we need some space from each other, just a couple days.”

“Seb, he just wants--”

“He _doesn’t know_ what he wants, Scott.” Seb threw his hands up. “Chris is my best friend, but I can’t keep doing this hot and cold bullshit. He started our thing years ago because he still wasn’t coping with losing Avery and he wanted to numb himself. I get that. But he would always just close himself off or kick me out after. Sometimes I wouldn’t hear from him for _days_ , and then he would just show up and act like everything was normal.” His eyes were burning with tears, but there was no way he was going to let them fall. “It was a casual thing and that was fine, but whenever I mentioned feeding or he saw me flirting with someone he’d start acting like a jealous boyfriend, and when I tried talking to him about him he’d shut down or get angry. The two of us dicking around was a huge mistake, I know that. But I couldn’t talk to him about that either. I tried ending it more than once, either by avoiding him or trying to talk him out of it, but he’d always come find me or brush it off. And then today because _he_ decides _he’s_ had enough, I’m just supposed to say “okay” and go with it? No negotiations, nothing, it all has to be on his terms. And if he’s actually serious about this then he’d better not start with the passive-aggressive slutshaming bullshit whenever I start seeing someone.”

Scott was quiet for a while, but when he spoke it was very cautiously, like Sebastian was an animal he was trying not to spook. “Chris never told you about that, did he?” he asked, pointing to the crystal resting against Sebastian’s chest.

Seb frowned. “What do you mean? He said he picked it up at a shop as a joke.”

Scott rolled his eyes. “Of course he did.” He sat up straighter and braced his hands on his knees, kneading his lip between his teeth. “Look, he’s going to kill me for telling you this, but you deserve to know. I’ve been ragging on him to tell you for a while anyway.”

“You’re starting to freak me out here.”

“I know, I’m sorry; I’m not trying to. Just...this is really important.” Scott took a deep breath. “It’s a dragon blood crystal. That means it’s dragon blood that was heated with dragon fire until it crystallized. Chris’s blood. ”

Sebastian stared at him.

“Dragon blood and scales are valuable, that’s why we’re hunted for them. But for us they have really strong personal significance. Receiving a blood crystal or scale is the highest honor; it’s a symbol of trust and love. It’s usually only done between mates because it’s such an important gesture. Chris and Avery had pendants with each other’s scales in them.” Scott’s eyes were full of sympathy. “That was Chris’s way of saying he loves you, Seb, even if he didn’t want you to know it.” 

Sebastian took a shuddering breath. “You mean he dragon married me?” he asked weakly, his eyes wet. “Without telling me?”

‘’I did say my brother was an asshole. And it's more of a proposal, but you get the idea.”

“Why...” Sebastian broke off, trying to regain composure before he started bawling like a loser. “Why didn’t Chris just tell me?”

“He’s a self-sacrificing idiot and he felt like he’d be betraying Avery. He didn’t think you felt the same way. He’s an asshole.” Scott spread his arms. “Take your pick.”

“He should have fucking _told_ me. How could he just--?” Alright forget the bawling, Seb was lucky if he didn’t launch into an anxiety attack right now. His stomach lurched with anger and pain, and he felt bile rise in his throat. He managed to turn around just in time, hands white-knuckling the porcelain in a death grip as he retched. 

A hand pressed between his shoulder blades, steady and reassuring while he heaved. When Sebastian finally pulled back again, Scott was staring at him apprehensively. 

“Anthony and Liz can’t do anything about the side-effects? What about when you feed? That isn’t helping either?”

Sebastian pressed down on the toilet handle, avoiding Scott’s gaze. “Yeah, about that.”

A beat of silence; he could practically hear the gears turning in Scott’s brain. Then--

“You _have_ been feeding, right?”

Sebastian sank back against the vanity, burying his face between his knees. 

“Jesus fucking _Christ,_ Sebastian, what the hell are you thinking? You can’t do that!”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Sebastian mumbled to his kneecaps.

“Sebastian, you’re _starving_ yourself!” There was a smacking sound, most likely Scott face-palming in exasperation. “Is this about Chris? He might not like seeing you with other people but he knows you have to feed. He wouldn’t want you to doing this to yourself!”

“I just can’t alright? I can’t deal with other people right now, and it doesn’t feel right when Chris knows I’m sleeping with other people. It never did, but especially now. I’ll find a club in another city somewhere, but I can’t feed from people around here anymore. It feels like I’m rubbing it in his face.” He forced himself to his feet, trying not to tip over as vertigo crashed over him. “I’m going back to bed.”

He made to step toward the bathroom door and immediately tipped forward, his vision blacking out. The next thing he was aware of was someone carrying him down the hallway and Scott muttering “Self-sacrificing _assholes_ , both of you.”

He heard the sound of a door opening and a rustling of bedcovers. Then he was being deposited on to his mattress, Scott’s face swimming into view.

Sebastian waved at him. “Thanks.”

“Between you and Chris, I don’t know who’s worse,” Scott groused, sitting at the edge of the bed and turning so they were facing one another. “Seriously though, you need to talk to him. He needs to know how you feel.”

“ _Everyone_ knows how I feel about Chris. It’s not my fault he’s too dense to realize it for himself.”

“Like you’ve been too dense to realize how he feels about you?” Scott snarked back. “And the others might know how you feel about him, but they haven’t known you as long as I have.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Sebastian asked wearily, rolling his head back against his pillows. He was already regretting the answer.

“It means they know how you feel, but they don’t know for how _long._ ” Scott’s expression softened, and he placed a hand on Seb’s knee over the bedcovers. “I didn’t realize it at first, you know. I figured you must have fallen in love with him sometime after you guys started screwing around. It made sense, you’ve known each other for almost two centuries, and now you were hitting a different note in your relationship. It was so obvious, the way you looked at my brother, like he was your entire world. I was so proud of myself for figuring out when things changed for you. And then I realized.” Scott paused, his eyes boring into Sebastian’s knowingly. 

“You’ve _always_ looked at Chris like that. Even all those years ago, when he was back with Avery.”

Sebastian swiped at his eyes. “I’m not proud of it.”

“You can’t help who you fall for, Seb,” Scott whispered, tone filled with gentle understanding. “And I bet Avery knew, didn’t he?”

“What _didn’t_ Avery know?” Sebastian’s laugh was wet, and slightly hysterical. “Bastard gave us his frickin’ blessing if anything ever happened to him. Said his two favorite people deserved to be happy and that no one would take care of us better than each other. That we would do right by one another.”

“Sounds like Avery,” Scott muttered wistfully. “He was right, you know. And you know he if he said it he really believed it. Avery never said something unless he absolutely meant it.”

“I know,” Sebastian pressed his palm against his eyelids, trying to keep the tears at bay. “I don’t know what to do; I'm upset, confused and pissed off all at once. And fucking _Chris_ , he can’t just give me a love token without telling me and then shut me out whenever he’s in a mood. If he really means it he can’t keep throwing up walls. It’s not fair to either of us, and I’m not going to put us through it.”

“That’s why you guys need to talk.”

“And we will. Just, tell him to relax for a day or two and focus on getting better, please? He needs time to figure out what he wants.”

“I will. I’m gonna stick around for a few days, make sure Chris doesn’t do anything else stupid.” Scott stood, bending down to hug Sebastian gingerly and press a kiss to his cheek. “Just promise me you’ll take care of yourself. You’re my brother as much as Avery was, Seb, you gotta know that.”

“I do.” Sebastian nodded, waving as Scott headed to the door. “Thanks, man, I mean it. Tell him to come find me after he’s rested for a bit.”

Scott smirked, tipping two fingers in a cheeky salute.

“Will do.”


	15. Chapter 14

Chris frowned at the ceiling as he lay in bed, trying not to move in case he caused more damage to his wounds. Scott had been oddly reticent since he had returned from Sebastian's place; had fobbed Chris off with a “he's recovering--slowly”, and then said something about the witch’s brands on his skin. The way Chris understood it, Anthony was still searching for a way to get rid of them because they were still sapping Sebastian's energy. 

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Getting his energy sapped probably meant that Sebastian was feeding more, but when Chris had joked weakly about it, Scott had given him a strange look and said, “Yeah, you should probably talk to him about that.” Which… what?

Within a day, however, he was able to get up by himself to piss, and by the time a couple of days had passed he was almost completely healed. One of the perks of being a dragon shifter--you did heal pretty fast. 

By the evening of the second day, Chris was going stir crazy. 

“I have to get out of here,” he told Scott as he pulled his clothes on, and Scott put up his hands in surrender. 

“I won't try and stop you, but… are you sure?”

Chris paused, then sighed, his head drooping. “As sure as I'll ever be.”

“Then good luck, big bro,” Scott said, clapping Chris on the shoulder, and Chris nodded, slipping his shoes on and grabbing his keys before heading out the door. 

When he arrived at Sebastian's place, he knocked sharply on the door, surprised when Anthony answered. 

“Hey, man,” Anthony said, pulling him into a hug. “Glad to see you looking better. You looked like shit last time I saw you.”

Chris grinned. “Yeah, and thanks for rescuing me. From what Scott told me you were just in time.”

Anthony nodded. “You here to see Sebastian?”

“Yeah.”

“All right, man, he's through in bed. He ain't feeling too good though, so keep the arguing to a minimum, yeah?”

Chris looked at Anthony, confused, but went through to Sebastian's bedroom. Sebastian was in bed, back to the door, his skin pale and clammy making the marks on his back stand out. 

“Jesus, Sebastian,” he said quietly, exhaling hard, and Sebastian turned to look at him. 

“Chris?” he croaked, and Chris walked a few steps towards the bed before stopping, still unsure of his welcome. “How are you doing?”

“Better than you, man. Fuck, how can that thing be draining your energy faster than you can top it up?”

Sebastian's eyes widened as he pulled himself up to sit, wincing as his back brushed against the pillows. “Scott didn't tell you, then.”

“Tell me what?”

Sebastian sighed. “I haven't been. I haven't fed since it happened.”

“What?” Chris's eyes widened, and he felt anger rising. “What the fuck, Sebastian? You've not been taking care of yourself? It's been _days_ , and you normally need to feed at least every couple of days when your energy is at normal levels.”

“Yeah, well,” Sebastian said, shrugging, and things suddenly fell into place for Chris.

“You stupid, self-sacrificing idiot. This ends now. You're gonna feed, and you need a quicker energy boost than any mortal can give you.” Chris closed the door and started to strip, but Sebastian shook his head. 

“No, Chris. You ended things between us, and you were right. They weren't healthy. _We_ weren't healthy.”

“And now look at you. You're fading away, Sebastian, and I won't have it. I won't just stand by and watch you starve yourself.” Chris pulled his socks off and stood by the bed, completely naked. “Come on, Sebastian. Come and feed. Come and feed on me.”

Sebastian knelt up on the bed, eyes already turning gold, as his mouth hovered scant millimeters away from Chris's. “Be sure, Chris,” he murmured, and Chris closed the distance between them, capturing Sebastian's lips with his. 

They lay down on the bed together, mouths never parting, and at the first touch of Sebastian's tongue against his Chris felt like he was coming home. He reached his hand down, sliding it underneath Sebastian's boxers to stroke his cock, and Sebastian moaned into his mouth. 

“What do you want?” Chris muttered, and Sebastian rolled them over so he was on his back with Chris on top of him. 

“Want you to fuck me, Chris, god, need to feel you inside of me.”

Chris nodded and leaned back to pull Sebastian's boxers off, throwing them onto the floor, then grabbed the lube and coated his fingers. He leaned forward to kiss Sebastian deeply as he began to finger him open, and Sebastian gasped and whimpered beneath him as Chris rubbed unmercifully against his prostate. 

“Gonna open you up for me, Sebastian, baby,” Chris said between kisses. “Then I'm gonna fuck you while you feed on me, fuck, it’s gonna feel so good.”

“Yeah, Chris, do it,” Sebastian groaned as Chris added a third finger. “You feel so good, can't wait to have your big cock inside me, fucking love it when you fuck me.” He worked his hips down onto Chris's fingers, fucking himself on them, and Chris cursed as he captured Sebastian's mouth with his again. 

“You ready?” he asked at length, and Sebastian nodded. 

“Fuck me, Chris,” he replied, eyes wide and trusting, and Chris smiled down at him as he slicked up his cock, pausing before pushing inside to place a kiss on the tip of Sebastian's nose. 

Then he was pushing inside, and it felt so good he almost lost it there and then. He made himself think of gross things, of the stuff at the back of Anthony's shop, the slimy stuff that belched occasionally from their containers, then took a deep breath. 

“Yeah?” he asked hoarsely, and Sebastian nodded, drawing him down for another kiss as he began to thrust. 

Chris fucked him as hard as he dared, mindful of the wounds on his back, his hips changing angle until he found that specific spot inside Sebastian…

“Oh fuck, god, Chris, _yes_ ,” Sebastian moaned, and Chris sped up his thrusts, keeping that same angle as Sebastian's head tossed on the pillow and his hands clutched at Chris's back. He opened his eyes, the gold shining up at him, and smiled. “You ready?” he asked, and Chris nodded. 

Sebastian pressed his hand against Chris's chest as the magic began to swirl around them, stronger than Chris had ever felt it before. He grit his teeth as it battered against his senses, then felt it begin to work, taking his energy and giving it to Sebastian. The pain was there, yes, but the pleasure was greater, and Chris knew he wouldn't be able to hold on much longer. But then Sebastian was crying out, coming all over his stomach and chest, and Chris let himself go, coming hard deep inside Sebastian with a groan. 

They lay there for a few moments, then Chris wiped the sweat from his eyes and pulled out carefully, flopping down beside Sebastian. 

“Feel better?” he asked playfully, even though he already knew the answer. Sebastian's skin had lost its unhealthy pallor, and his eyes were bright. 

Sebastian just shrugged, though. “Yeah. Uh. Thanks.” He made to get up, wincing slightly. “I should probably shower.”

Chris felt his heart sink, but knew he had to make the first move here. He pulled Sebastian back down, and kissed him deeply. “You could,” he said, unable to keep the nervousness out his tone, “or you could stay here. With me.”

Sebastian's eyes widened. “What?”

Chris sighed. “We could. I don't know. Just lay here, for a while? Maybe even cuddle like normal people?”

Sebastian just stared at him, and Chris hoped he hadn't just made a massive misjudgment. 

***

The silence stretched on for about another minute. Sebastian knew he was gaping; Chris offering post-sex snuggling had been the last thing he was expecting, and he had no idea how to respond to that. But Chris looked about ready to cut and run, and Sebastian knew he had to say something.

“Chris,” he breathed shakily, running a hand through his sweaty hair, “You have _no_ idea how much I want that. But we have a lot of things we need to talk about first before we decide where we stand with one another.” 

Chris gave him a weak smile, gesturing with his hand for Sebastian to continue. He still looked nervous, but at least he wasn’t about to vibrate out of his skin anymore. Sebastian nodded, shifting so that he could face Chris where he was leaning against the headboard.

“First off, why did you help me feed? You made it pretty clear we were done with the ‘friends with benefits’ thing, so why? If we decide we’re done, then I want to be _done_ , not ‘done with a few exceptions.’ And if you say you did it because I needed the energy and you had no choice I’m going to deck you.”

Chris shifted uncomfortably, picking at a corner of the quilt. “I _don’t_ want to keep going the way we were. It was awful; I know I treated you poorly and I acted like a dick and I can’t even begin to tell you how much I wish I could take it back. Every time I just kept seeing Avery in my mind, and I took it out on you. And you _did_ need to feed,” he then added in a much softer voice, “but I don’t want you to feed from anyone else. It kills me, Seb, knowing you’re seeing other people.”

“I don’t want to see other people either,” Sebastian admitted. “But you never said anything, and every time we had sex you’d either lock yourself down or kick me out of bed. You can’t do that, man, not if you’re serious about fixing things with us. It’s your call what you want us to be, but I’m a part of this too.”

He sighed, his hand coming up to pull the chain with his crystal off his neck, holding it out in his palm as he stared at Chris. “Scott told me what this means to you,” he said softly, carefully gauging Chris’s reaction to see whether or not the walls would come up.

He wasn’t disappointed. Chris’s face filled with alarm before his expression smoothed out into something hard and blank. “Right,” he said flatly, “I should have known he would. You can just toss it if it makes you uncomfortable, I know we were drunk when I gave it to you. I can leave, if you want.” 

Sebastian growled in frustration, swinging his legs over Chris’s torso so he was straddling him. “That,” he said, jabbing his finger at Chris, who blinked up at him in shock. “Stop doing that. Every time something touches a nerve or you don’t want to talk about it you just block me out and run away. And I always chase after you like a dumbass without ever making you actually _talk_ to me. I kept telling myself I was giving you space, but you have so much space you’re about to drift out of the solar system.” His voice cracked, and he felt his eyes getting wet again. “Avery knew how I felt about you. Made me promise to take care of you if anything happened to him. Said he couldn’t think of anyone better for the job. How the fuck am I supposed to do that when you keep shutting me out?”

A calloused thumb reached up to brush away one of the tears leaking from the corner of Sebastian’s eye. Chris’s palm came up to cup his face, and he leaned into it. 

“I’m sorry I hurt you,” Chris whispered, his own eyes red-rimmed. “I was a selfish bastard; I thought if I started something with you I’d lose Avery, but I couldn’t stay away from you. Even if you were never really mine, seeing you wearing this” he brushed a finger from his free hand against the crystal, “Allowed me to pretend, even if it wasn’t true. I used you, and I don’t expect you to ever forgive me for it. You never deserved any of this. And what I said to you earlier, _god_ \--”

Sebastian pressed a kiss to Chris’s palm, covering the back of his hand with his own. “I was always yours. I didn’t want to pressure you, not when you were so torn apart about Avery. And I used you too; I kept pretending it was something it wasn’t. I should have tried harder to stop it when I saw how much you were hurting. And about our fight; it hurt, but I know you didn’t mean it.” 

“That doesn’t make it okay, goddammit!”

“It doesn’t,” Sebastian sighed, slipping the chain back around his neck, “But I forgive you. Just promise you’ll talk to me? Please? I’m not saying we’ll never fight again, but I’m tired of wondering if each one will be the last; that the two of us are finished. I can’t deal with it. As your best friend, your brother… your boyfriend. Whatever.”

“Boyfriend,” Chris said in a small voice, a hand drifting to Seb’s waist and squeezing, “Boyfriend sounds good. If you want.”

Sebastian squeezed his eyes shut. “Boyfriend it is then.”

Chris leaned forward to brush his nose against Seb’s hairline, breathing in his scent. He muttered something in dragon tongue, a deep, soothing rumble in his throat. Sebastian had heard him exchange it more enough times with Avery to know what it meant by now.

“Yeah,” Sebastian breathed harshly, scrubbing at his wet face before burying it in Chris’s shoulder. “Me too. Always.”

They stayed like that for a while, wrapped up in one another and afraid to let go. Finally, Sebastian forced himself to pull back. “I need you to do something for me,” he said, forcing his voice to remain steady, his hands finding Chris’s and grabbing on like a lifeline.

“Anything.”

“I need--” Sebastian’s breath hitched, shoulders shaking. “I need you to burn these sigils off me.”

Chris’s jaw dropped, his eyes going wide and horrified. “No, no fucking way. Anthony’s looking for a spell, he’ll--”

“There is no spell,” Sebastian rasped out. “Not one that can remove black magic that strong. You know it’s the only way. Dragon fire destroys everything.”

Chris’s hands were shaking as he tangled their fingers together. “I can’t do that,” he whispered, swallowing around a lump in his throat. “I’ll hurt you. I could _kill_ you.”

“You won’t. I know you won’t.” Sebastian pressed a kiss to their joint hands. “I trust you, more than anyone. You’re too careful, you know how to use your power. I’ll be fine.”

“Seb--”

“Chris, _please,_ ” Sebastian pleaded, “I can’t live with these things on me. Forget the fact that suck my energy dry, they were used to _hurt_ you. She made herself look like me because she knew I was your weakness. This whole mess was my fault. I can’t have that on my skin, I can’t.”

Chris pulled him against his chest, nosing at his temple. “Alright,” he agreed wearily, “I’ll do it. But not now. Tomorrow; Hayley said Mark gave you the next couple weeks off for recovery. I’m making sure Anthony and Elizabeth are going to be standing by with a stockpile of healing balms and potions and pain relievers. And stop blaming yourself, none of this was your fault. She would have come after me regardless.”

“If I had been paying more attention--”

“ _No._ She enchanted you, confused you so you wouldn’t realize she wasn’t who she was.” Chris blew out a breath, his tone self-deprecating. “It definitely didn’t help matters that you were under a lot of stress.”

“Okay, how about this,” Sebastian proposed, “I’ll stop blaming myself if you stop blaming yourself.” He extended a pinky finger. “Agreed?”

Chris wrapped his own pinky around Seb’s, grasping it tight. “Agreed.” He settled back against the pillows, allowing Sebastian to flop onto him like an oversized house cat. “Rest, okay? That might have perked you up, but it’s probably going to wear off soon.”

Seb curled an arm around Chris’s waist and shimmied up Chris’s body so they were pressed chest to chest. He loathed to admit it, but Chris was right. He was already beginning to feel tired again. 

“Promise you’ll stay?” he asked drowsily.

Sebastian felt fingers running through his hair, and pushed his head into Chris’s hand like a cat. There was a low chuckle somewhere above him, and he felt a kiss pressed to his bare shoulder.

“I’ll never go anywhere without you again.”


	16. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Graphic descriptions of burning flesh and burn injuries.

Chris lay in the dark of Sebastian's room, Sebastian's head pillowed on his chest, almost afraid to sleep in case he woke up and it had all been a dream. Sebastian felt the same way about him as he did about Sebastian--had done for a while, if what he said about Avery was true. Chris wasn't sure he wanted to think too much about that; if Sebastian had felt this way about him since before Avery… died, then he had been a complete dick, even worse than he had initially thought. 

“I can hear you thinking,” Sebastian muttered against his skin, and Chris ran his fingers through Sebastian's hair soothingly. 

“No you can't. Mind reading isn't one of your powers,” Chris replied teasingly, and Sebastian nuzzled against his chest, pressing a kiss there. 

“And yet I still can. You need to quit it and go to sleep.” Sebastian yawned, and Chris kissed the top of his head. 

“How are you feeling?” Chris asked, and Sebastian shrugged. 

“Tired. A little drained. But it's nothing I can't handle until tomorrow.”

“You _could_ handle it,” Chris said teasingly, running his hand down Sebastian's side and round to his soft cock, which rapidly began to fill at Chris's touch. “Or I could handle _you._ ”

“God, Chris,” Sebastian groaned, hips thrusting into Chris's fist. He leaned up, and Chris leaned down, and their mouths met in the middle as Chris felt Sebastian's fist curl loosely around his cock. 

They kissed deeply as they stroked each other, but as they started to get close to orgasm their kisses became sloppier, until they were just panting into each other's mouths. Sebastian placed his left hand on Chris's chest, and Chris rode out the sensations as Sebastian fed. The pleasure-pain was so intense that he couldn't hold back, crying out Sebastian's name as he came over Sebastian's fist. Then Sebastian was pressing his mouth against Chris's as Chris twisted his hand under the head of Sebastian's cock, and Sebastian came with a groan. 

They lay there silently in the dark, catching their breath; then Chris said, “How's that for a midnight snack?” and Sebastian lost it against him, curling up next to him as he laughed. 

“It wasn't that funny,” Chris said with a laugh, but Sebastian simply looked at him, eyes bright in the moonlight, and kissed him. 

“Think you can sleep now?” Sebastian asked, yawning. 

“Hmm, maybe.” 

Sebastian settled back down on his chest, and Chris wrapped his arms around him, marveling at how well the two of them fit together. 

He closed his eyes, letting Sebastian's deep breathing lull him into slumber, and trying not to think about what he had agreed to do the following day. 

When he awoke, he and Sebastian were still tangled together, and he smiled, pressing a kiss into Sebastian's hair. Sebastian made a sleepy noise and pulled the sheet further over himself, nuzzling his nose against Chris's chest. 

“You awake?” Chris asked softly. 

“Hmmmnope,” Sebastian hummed sleepily. “Not even a little bit.”

“Liar,” Chris said with a grin. 

“Nope. Nope nope nope.”

“C’mon, Sebastian. I'm hungry. You got any breakfast food in yet?”

Sebastian blinked up at him, trying to scowl, but Chris could see the hint of a smile playing around his mouth and eyes. “Do I ever? Although Anthony might have bought some. I don't know. I've not really been able to keep much down this last week.”

Chris narrowed his eyes, angry again at himself for making Sebastian be such a self-sacrificing idiot. Sebastian saw the look and frowned. 

“Stop that. We were going to stop blaming ourselves for stuff, remember?” He climbed on top of Chris, straddling his hips, and leaned down to kiss him. Chris deepened the kiss, but then his stomach gave a loud growl, and they both began to laugh. “All right, all right. Let's go and hunt down some food.”

They threw on some clothes and went through to the kitchen, where Anthony was sitting, earbuds in as his head bopped to the beat of whatever he was listening to. He looked up and saw them, and a smile broke out over his face as he pulled the earbuds out his ears. 

“You two finally sort things out?” he asked, and Chris grinned, threading his fingers through Sebastian's. 

“Yeah, I think so.”

“Awesome. In case you're wondering, I had these in all night so I wouldn't hear you two, uh. Working things out.”

“Good to know,” Sebastian said with a laugh. “So… do I have any breakfast food in?”

Anthony rolled his eyes. “You do, for once, but only because I bought some. There's cereal in the cabinet, or bread over on the side.”

“Cereal or toast, honey?” Sebastian asked, his tone sickly sweet. 

“Bite me,” Chris replied in the same tone. 

“Maybe later,” Sebastian quipped, his eyes flashing gold. 

“I do not need to hear this,” Anthony muttered with a long suffering sigh, and both Sebastian and Chris laughed. 

“I'll have cereal, thanks,” Chris told Sebastian, before sitting at the table next to Anthony. “So, uh. Big favor to ask.”

Anthony narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Uh huh.”

Chris looked up at Sebastian, who nodded. “Thing is,” Chris began, “there doesn't seem to be any way to remove what the witch did to Sebastian, and it's just gonna keep sapping his energy.”

“Uh huh,” Anthony said again. 

“So we were thinking that, uh, maybe… maybe I should burn it off,” Chris finished in a rush. 

Anthony's eyes widened. “Are you fucking kidding me?” he asked, his voice high and piercing. “That's insane. You're both insane. You know that, right?”

“I know,” Chris said slowly, “but it's the only way. And we'd want you and Elizabeth on hand with all the possible lotions and potions just in case. But there's no other option. Not if we want to get rid of them for good.”

“Jesus.” Anthony scrubbed his hand over his face. “You're gonna do it anyway, aren't you?”

Chris and Sebastian nodded. 

“Fine. I'll call Elizabeth, and I'll need to make a trip to the shop. I just hope you two know what you're doing.”

Sebastian brought two bowls of cereal over, setting one in front of Chris and smiling sunnily at Anthony. “We do.”

Anthony just shook his head, and Chris took a spoonful of cereal, trying to swallow down his nerves. Sebastian trusted him to do this, and he would do his best. He just hoped his best would be enough. 

***

Anthony left for the shop soon after, promising to fetch Elizabeth on his way back, leaving the two of them to sit at the table in silence. Chris was frowning down at his cereal bowl, clenching his spoon so hard it was in danger of bending. 

“Hey,” Sebastian said softly, knocking his ankle against Chris’s foot. “I’m gonna be fine. We have a bunch of safety precautions in place, and we already know you’re going to be treating me with kid gloves.”

They had decided on performing the procedure in some abandoned pasture not far away. It was desolate save for some old rock formations, away from buildings and people, and if the situation did happen to get out of hand it would be far easier to get back under control. 

“I know, I know, it’s just--I already lost one person I love. I can’t lose another,” Chris gnawed at his lip, shoving his bowl away as though he suddenly lost his appetite.

Sebastian leaned over to rescue the spoon from Chris’s death grip, then scooted his chair closer to lay a reassuring hand on Chris’s bicep. “Hey, stop thinking like that. You’re not going to lose me. Anthony’s going to moderate the intensity of the flame, and when it’s over with Elizabeth is going to slather me with healing paste and bandages. And then you can cart my sorry ass back home and hover obsessively while I bitch and complain from my blanket nest.”

Chris looked only half convinced, but he still managed to crack a weak smile, so Sebastian considered it a win. 

When they finished eating Chris took care of the dishes, while Sebastian made his way to his bedroom pulled out a clean pair of sweatpants for himself, and some sweats and a shirt of Chris’s that had accumulated in his closet over the years. They had decided on going back to Chris’s house after; it was far better stocked on food and a bit closer to Hearthstone and Elizabeth’s greenhouse if there was an urgent need for supplies. Scott was still hanging around for a while, so he would serve as backup if Chris had to run out for some reason; not that he knew this yet. Sebastian grabbed an old backpack and shoved in a few spare pairs of clothes and his phone charger; everything else he needed was already at Chris’s. 

When everything he needed was laid out on the bed, he grabbed the pile of clothes and headed to the bathroom, closing the door with a quiet snick. He chanced a look at his reflection; it was a definite improvement from the past few days, but there were still shadows under his eyes and he fatigued easily. He stripped down and was about to attempt removing his wrappings when the door clicked opened again as Chris stepped inside, quietly closing it behind him. 

Chris's eyes drifted to the bandages on Sebastian's back. “Let me,” he whispered, face contorted into something sad and painful. He sponged the wrappings with warm water before gingerly stripping them off one by one. When he finished, he tossed them in the wastebasket and herded Sebastian in the shower. He set the faucet to a comfortable temperature, then shuffled them around until a steady stream poured down Sebastian's back. The wounds had technically healed by now, but the black magic they were created with kept them raw and tender. 

They soaped each other up carefully. It was gentle and domesticated and very unfamiliar to both of them, but not at all unpleasant. Neither of them had ever initiated this kind of contact before, both too uncomfortable to step outside the boundaries of what they already had. They rinsed off, Sebastian graciously not commenting when Chris clung tighter than necessary, pressed against Sebastian's wet chest and trying not to tremble.

They had just finished getting dressed and gathering everything they needed when Anthony came striding through the front door with Elizabeth in tow, a duffel slung over his shoulder. They both offered small smiles of support, despite the somber mood that hung over them like a thundercloud. 

“You guys ready?” Anthony asked. He shoulders were stiff and eyes determined, like he was about to head off to war. When everyone murmured an affirmative, they piled into Anthony's car and headed out to the field. When they arrived, Sebastian made to head toward the rocks, pausing when Chris made a strangled noise of distress.

“What's wrong?” Sebastian asked, eyes crinkling in concern. All the blood had drained from Chris's face, and he looked like he was about to be ill.

“You're going to brace yourself on _that_?” he choked out, gesturing at the large flat rock that had been Sebastian’s destination. “Jesus Seb, it looks like something we'd lay you out on as a sacrifice.”

“Probably ‘cause that's what it was used for,” Anthony muttered, hissing when Elizabeth ground her heel into his foot.

“Chris,” Sebastian soothed, reaching up to cup his boyfriend's face. “It's okay, I'll just stand and brace myself against it. Would that make it easier?”

Chris swallowed, still looking unsure, but nodded. Then he pulled Sebastian in for crushing hug, mindful of his back. “See you soon,” he whispered unsteadily, pressing a hard kiss to Sebastian’s lips. 

Sebastian nodded, looking far more confident than he felt, then turned back towards the rock. He had gone sans shirt considering he wouldn't need it or be able to wear it once everything was finished. A rustling behind him signaled Chris stripping out of his clothes. He glanced to his right where Anthony and Elizabeth were setting up. The plan was for Anthony to remain close by to funnel the power in case it got to be too much for Chris to control, but Sebastian doubted it would be necessary. Chris was far too careful for that to happen, especially when Sebastian's safety was at hand.

When Elizabeth had lined up her bottles and jars in an order to her satisfaction, she looked up and nodded, signaling they were ready to start. There was a loud rush of air behind him, then the leathery beat of wings as Chris shifted. Inhaling deeply, Sebastian stepped forward and flattened his palms against the smooth stone, bracing himself for the feel of flames licking at his back.

He wasn't at all prepared.

The first blast of flame bit into his skin, a stinging burn at first. Within seconds he was engulfed in suffocating heat, the pinpricks on his back expanding into a white hot pulse. The air was stifling, his eyes streaming, and the pain was _excruciating,_ even though he knew Chris was being as gentle as he could. The sigils on his back shrieked in protest as they boiled and warped on his flesh, whatever ounce of black magic that was left struggling to break free. The pain soon became too much and he tried to wriggle away, but there was a soft blue glow and Anthony’s magic locked him in place. His mind narrowed to the solitary thought of Chris, and he hoped it would be enough to block out the horrible ringing in his ears.

He wouldn't discover until later that the noise he had been hearing was his own twisted screaming.


	17. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Graphic descriptions of burning flesh and burn injuries.

Chris tried his hardest to stay focused, but it wasn't easy. Sebastian had begun to scream in pain, shrieks of agony that cut Chris to the quick. He could see the dark magic pulsing under Sebastian's skin as it blackened and crackled, until finally it rose up with a high pitched noise, almost like a teakettle whistling, and swirling around them like a whirlwind. 

He could see Elizabeth out the corner of his eye as she worked to banish the dark magic. The sigils on Sebastian's back were almost completely gone now, and Chris gave one last puff of flame as they disappeared completely. 

He collapsed to the ground, exhausted, seeing Elizabeth and Anthony rush to Sebastian and begin to heal him. He shifted quickly and pulled his clothes on, running towards them. Sebastian blinked up at him. 

“Hurts,” he croaked. 

“I know,” Chris said softly. “But we're gonna get you all healed up. The sigils are gone now. You're free.”

Sebastian nodded, then slumped, unconscious, against the rock. Chris took a step towards him, but Anthony held up his hand. 

“Not yet. We've still got some work to do before you can touch him. Damn fool plan anyway,” Anthony finished with a grumble, but his tone was gentle enough to reassure Chris that no permanent damage had been done. 

Finally, Elizabeth wrapped Sebastian in several bandages. As she finished fastening the last one, Sebastian opened his eyes blearily. 

“What…?”

“It's okay,” Chris said soothingly. “You passed out from the pain, but Elizabeth has got you all wrapped up now so we're gonna go back to mine. Can you walk?”

“Maybe?” Sebastian replied slowly. Chris and Anthony carefully helped him up, hooking his arms around their shoulders and helping him towards the car. Anthony and Elizabeth climbed into the front, and Sebastian lay on his front in the back seat, head pillowed on Chris's lap. 

When they finally arrived back at Chris's place, they helped Sebastian inside to Chris's bedroom, and he lay face down on the sheets with a quiet moan. Elizabeth dragged Chris through to the living room, where Scott was sitting, looking startled. 

“What the hell?” Scott asked, and Elizabeth narrowed her eyes. 

“Your brother can tell you all about how he just used his dragon fire to burn the markings off of Sebastian's back in a minute,” she said to Scott, who opened his mouth, closing it again when he saw the look on Elizabeth's face. “Right now, Chris, you are going to _listen to me_.”

Chris snapped his attention to her and nodded. 

“The fire damage should heal fully if you do exactly as I tell you. This one,” she said, handing him a bottle, “he needs one mouthful every hour. This one, apply to his back every thirty minutes.”

“What is it?”

“My highest strength healing salve. Use just enough to coat his whole back; you've got enough in this jar to do you until tomorrow and I'll bring more in the morning. You're not gonna get much sleep tonight, either of you.”

“How long will he take to heal?” Chris asked, and something in his tone or expression made her eyes soften. 

“If you do as I say? Three days.”

“What about feeding? He's gonna need to feed to keep his energy up.”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “I don't need to hear about your sex life ever, okay? Do what you need to do, but nothing strenuous if you can avoid it.”

Chris nodded. “Okay. That sounds easy enough.”

“I'd suggest setting alarms so you know when he's due the salve or the potion. You need to give him some of both now, so I can observe and make sure you're doing it right.”

They went through to the bedroom, where Anthony was sitting next to Sebastian on the bed. Sebastian was moaning low in his throat, and it made Chris's heart hurt to see Sebastian in so much pain. 

Elizabeth made an impatient motion, and Chris took the potion and salve over to the bed. 

“Sebastian?” he said softly. 

“Chris, it _hurts,_ ” Sebastian groaned weakly. 

“I know, baby, and we're gonna make it better, I promise. I need you to take a mouthful of this, okay?”

He handed Sebastian the bottle and he took a swig from it, making a face. 

“What is in that?”

“You don't want to know,” Elizabeth said with a laugh. 

Chris put the stopper back on the bottle and placed it on the bedside table, then began to unwrap the bandages from around Sebastian's torso, murmuring “Sorry,” when Sebastian hissed in pain. 

A fair amount of crisp, blackened skin came off with the bandages, leaving red-raw new skin underneath. Chris examined the new skin, but there was no sign of the witch's markings. Taking the pot of salve, he scooped out a small amount and began to gently rub it onto Sebastian's back. More blackened skin came off as he worked, and Sebastian whimpered underneath him. 

When it was done, he went to put the bandages back on, but Elizabeth stopped him. 

“Now his skin has started to heal, the salve needs to interact with the air to work. Leave it uncovered now.”

“You gonna be okay?” Anthony asked, getting up from the bed. 

Chris nodded. “Yeah. Thanks, guys.”

“No problem. Let's never do this again though, huh?” Anthony said. 

“Sounds good to me,” Chris replied. He leaned down and kissed Sebastian softly. “I'll be back soon,” he murmured quietly, and Sebastian nodded. 

Chris let Elizabeth and Anthony out, but as he was heading back through to the bedroom Scott grabbed him and dragged him through to the living room. 

“Scott, what the fuck?”

“I cannot fucking believe you, big bro,” Scott said angrily. “You know the kind of damage dragon fire can do and you use that on Sebastian?”

“There was no other way, Scott! Those sigils on his back were sapping his energy and there was no way to get rid of them other than to burn them off. Do you honestly think I'd have done it if there had been an alternative?”

Scott sighed, shaking his head. “Tell me it worked, at least.”

“Yeah. It worked.”

“Okay.” Scott nodded. “And did you guys work things out?”

“Yeah,” Chris said with a smile. “Yeah, we did.”

“Good. It's about damn time.” Scott clapped him on the shoulder. “Well, you'd better go in there and see to your boy. I'll be here if you need anything.”

“Thanks, man.” Chris grinned at his brother and went through to the bedroom, face falling when he saw the state of Sebastian's back. It had worked, but Chris just hoped the cost wasn't too high. 

***

Sebastian turned his head weakly as he felt the mattress dip with Chris's weight. “Scott done freaking out yet?”

Chris reached over to brush a sweaty piece of hair out of Sebastian's eyes. “For now. Might continue if he gets a good look at your back again.”

“It's bad huh?”

“Yeah.” Chris’s voice was thick. “If you were mortal you probably wouldn't have survived, even with Anthony and Elizabeth on standby.”

“Good thing I'm not a mortal then, huh?”

“Yeah, and you still got charred. Hopefully you don't have any scarring. Elizabeth’s amazing, but--”

“Chris.” Sebastian somehow managed to turn his head in the dragon’s direction, eyes glazed over with pain. “Stop worrying. I feel like shit and I probably will be for the next couple of days, but I'm _fine._ My back hurts like a bitch but I feel...lighter, I guess? After the witch hexed me my entire body felt bogged down, like there was just this _thing_ pressing in and sucking me dry. Now it's gone. I'm weak, but definitely not the way I was before.”

“Good. That’s good,” Chris said on a shaky exhale, hands fisted in the bed covers. He took out his phone and fiddled with the alarm settings. The clock in the corner indicated it was only two in the afternoon; it had been a little over an hour, but it felt like an eternity. “It's gonna be a rough night,” he said apologetically. “I can apply the salve while you're sleeping, but I'm going to have to wake you hourly to give you more of this stuff.” He waggled the potion bottle in Sebastian's face.

Sebastian grimaced, shoving it away like it had personally offended him. He shuffled over as much as his back would allow, pressing his cheek against Chris's thigh. “Thanks for doing this. I can't even begin to tell how much it means to me, especially with how hard it must have been on you.”

“If it means taking care of you I'd do anything. You're my number one priority, always. And besides,” Chris allowed himself the tiniest smirk, “this means I get to pay you back for that time you took care of me when I had scale rot.” 

Sebastian groaned, burying his face in the pillows. “I take it back,” he said, voice muffled, you're an abomination and I hate you.”

“Too late,” Chris teased, “prepare for daytime talk shows and bad pop music.”

They both knew it was a lie. Chris already had their favorite horror and sci-fi movies on queue, but neither of them mentioned it.

There was a light knock at the door and Scott popped his head in. “Feeling up for a visitor?”

Before Sebastian could answer, Robert materialised at Scott's shoulder, deftly ducking his arm and entering the room. 

“Daenerys,” he greeted, nodding at Sebastian. He turned to Chris and paused. “ Does that make you Drogon, Rhaegal, or Viserion?”

Chris rolled his eyes. “Some hunter you are, those are technically wyverns.”

“Not according to my friend George.”

“Who _clearly_ doesn't know proper dragon mythology. Don't you have anywhere else to be?”

“Don't you have a hobbit to catch? Glad to see you're still alive, by the way.”

“Hi, Robert “ Sebastian interrupted loudly, just as Chris opened his mouth to retort, “What brings you by?” 

“Right. The witch.” Robert clapped his hands together. “Frankie and I were able to track her to the woods. Apparently she’s been shacking up in a cavern under some tree roots. She put up a fight, but she wasn't doing so great after her run-in with you guys so we were able to take her down easily enough.”

Sebastian closed his eyes in relief. “So she's dead?”

“As a doornail.”

Chris pressed his hands to his face, breathing heavily. “Thank Christ. Are there any more of them around that might come back here?”

“We dug around to see if we could find anything connecting her to a coven. We think she was flying solo, but we're checking in with our contacts just in case.” 

“Thanks, Robert,” Sebastian said, his smile tired but no less grateful. “ Keep us updated. And tell Grillo we said hi.”

“Sure thing, buttercup,” Robert promised, gently ruffling Sebastian's hair. “I'd best be on my way, your jabberwocky looks ready to set me on fire.”

“Still a wyvern!” Chris yelled after him as he left the room.

Scott pulled a face. “You get way too offended about the dragon/wyvern confusion.”

“It's simple fact checking. Dragons have four legs, wyverns have two. And I do not!”

Scott and Sebastian exchanged an unimpressed look before replying in unison. “Yes you do.”

Chris scowled. “Whatever. You guys want pizza?”

“I'll call it in,” Scott volunteered. “Lords of the Rings marathon?”

Chris hesitated, glancing over at Sebastian, who offered him an exhausted smile.

“You guys go ahead, I'll eat later. I'm just going to sleep for a while and then you guys can move it in here for the second movie.”

“Sounds like a plan to me.” Scott fist pumped, then scurried out to call in the order.

Chris turned his attention back to Sebastian, forehead wrinkling in uncertainty. “You sure? I'm good to stay here if you need me.” His phone chimed, signaling that it was time to re-apply the salve, and he tugged the jar back over from its place on the nightstand.

“I'm sure. Go hang out with your brother. We can all watch Two Towers later.” He tensed as Chris rubbed the ointment into his raw skin, pressing a kiss to Sebastian's shoulder in apology. 

“Alright,” Chris finally conceded. “I'll be back in thirty to give you your medicine. Rest for now, but you're going to have to get some food in you later if you think you can keep it down.”

“I will.” Sebastian beckoned with a weak finger for Chris to lean down, kissing him softly. His smile turned mischievous. “Might need to feed tonight too. Guess we'll have to get creative with positions.”

“We'll figure something out.” Chris pressed a kiss to his forehead, tucking the blankets securely around Sebastian's waist. “I'll see you in a bit okay?

After receiving a sleepy “mhmm” in reply, Chris stood, and with one last look of fondness at his dozing partner, quietly shut the door.


	18. Chapter 17

The night was a difficult one. Both of them were exhausted, and Chris barely slept, even with his alarms set, too afraid that he would sleep through and miss one of Sebastian's doses. 

Just after three a.m., when Sebastian had been given his potion, Chris was rubbing the salve onto his back when he began to squirm against the mattress. 

“I'm sorry,” Chris said softly. “I know it hurts.”

Sebastian gave a short laugh. “Yeah, that's not exactly my problem right now.”

Chris's eyes widened and his hand faltered on Sebastian's back. “Are you trying to tell me you're…?”

“Really fucking turned on, yeah. I can't help it. Your hands feel so good on me.”

Chris finished rubbing in the salve and wiped his hands on the towel by the bed, then leaned down to kiss him. “Well, we did think you'd have to feed tonight,” he said, smirking. “I think you should ride me.”

Sebastian kissed back hungrily. “Fuck, yes.”

Chris fetched the lube and spread it on his fingers, as Sebastian lifted himself onto all fours, ass in the air. Chris thought for a moment, then spread Sebastian's asscheeks wide, blowing over his hole before swiping his tongue over the puckered flesh. Sebastian moaned, pushing his ass back onto Chris's face, and Chris grinned. He began to lick and suck, saliva running down his chin as he worked Sebastian open with his tongue. 

“Oh, fuck, Chris, oh god that feels so good,” Sebastian groaned, as Chris nipped gently at the wrinkled skin. He curled his tongue and pushed it inside Sebastian's ass, and Sebastian cried out as Chris began to tonguefuck him. 

They had never done this before to each other, never taken the time, and Chris loved the whimpers and moans it drew from Sebastian. He pushed a slick finger in next to his tongue, and Sebastian let out a long, shuddering breath that turned into a whine. 

His tongue starting to tire, Chris pulled back, pushing in a second finger instead. He crooked his fingers down, rubbing them against Sebastian's prostate, and Sebastian groaned. 

“Fuck, Chris, you fucking tease, I need more but don't stop, don't stop, don't you _dare_ stop.”

“Hush, baby. I'm gonna take good care of you,” Chris murmured, working Sebastian open with his fingers and placing a kiss on one asscheek. 

By the time he added a third finger, Sebastian was panting hard onto the pillow, and when Chris reached round to touch his cock it was hard and leaking over the sheets. 

“You ready for my cock, baby?” Chris asked, and Sebastian nodded. They switched positions so Chris was on his back, Sebastian straddling him, then Sebastian was slicking up his cock and holding him in position as he sank down onto him. 

Sebastian let out a long breath as his hips met Chris's, and when he opened his eyes they were mostly pupil, with just a thin ring of gold around them. 

“Fuck, Chris, never get tired of your cock in me, fuck it feels so good.”

“Yeah, I fucking love being inside you,” Chris replied, feeling sweat break out on his forehead as he struggled to stay still and not thrust. “So fucking tight and hot around me, baby, you've got me for as long as you want me.”

“I'm gonna hold you to that,” Sebastian said with a laugh as he lifted himself up before dropping himself back down on Chris's cock. “Fuck, Chris,” he moaned, leaning down to kiss him. 

Chris could feel himself getting close as Sebastian moved over him. “You might want to feed now, don't think I'm gonna last,” he managed. 

Sebastian nodded, placing his left hand on Chris's chest. Chris closed his eyes against the swirl of magic, opening them again just in time to see Sebastian cry out, hand working his own cock as he came hard. Chris thrust up into him a few times, but Sebastian's muscles squeezing around his cock was too much and he fell over the edge, coming with a groan. 

Sebastian smiled down at him, lifting himself off with a wince before settling himself down next to Chris, laying on his stomach. 

“Feel better?” Chris asked with a grin. 

“Feels _amazing_ ,” Sebastian replied. “I take it it's not worth you going back to sleep since you're gonna have to put more stuff on my back soon.”

Chris checked the time on his phone. “Yeah, pretty much.”

“‘M sorry,” Sebastian said, yawning. 

“It's fine,” Chris said sincerely. “Go to sleep. I'll wake you up when it's time for more potion.”

“Okay,” Sebastian replied, already half asleep. Chris watched him sleep, a smile on his face. He couldn't believe how lucky he was. 

Elizabeth came round the next day with more potion and salve, and inspected Sebastian's back before nodding to Chris, satisfied. 

“He's healing even faster than I'd expected,” she told him, “which is great, frankly. I take it he's fed?”

Chris grinned at her, and she scowled. 

“I take it back, I don't want to know. Just keep doing what you're doing and it should all be good.”

Two days later, Sebastian's back was completely healed. The new skin was no longer red raw, and all the burned skin was gone. It was as if nothing had happened, and Chris was glad. He knew that if anything had happened to Sebastian because of him the guilt would have consumed him. 

They went out to Elements to celebrate, and their friends bought them almost more drinks than even they could handle. Scarlett hugged Chris, telling him she was glad he finally pulled his head out of his ass, and Chris rolled his eyes. Hayley even hugged Sebastian, much to Sebastian's surprise, and Chris couldn't help but grin until he realized the kind of damage they could do if they became close friends. 

As he looked around their group, his eyes caught Sebastian's, and they exchanged a smile. Whatever the future might hold, they could face it together, and that was all that mattered.


	19. Epilogue

It takes a year.

A year of them sleeping, breathing, _living_ in their own little bubble. _Together_. It had been the best goddamn year of Sebastian's life, and he’d lived a very, very long life.

They had found a house at the edge of the city not long after getting together--together, _together_ \--, both wanting to find something that was _theirs,_ and not just belonging to one or the other. It was small and rustic; it was a five minute walk from Anthony's, fifteen to Mark's--where Seb exclusively bartended now, thank you very much. He only fed from Chris, which wasn’t at all a hardship, especially not when Chris was the only one who mattered in the first place. The sex was spectacular and there was a constant chime of _love_ every time they were together. Seb wasn’t at all ashamed to admit he’d become a domestic old grandpa. The house was right at the base of the mountain trail and it was _perfect_ and it was _home_. The picture of them with Avery, all mugging it for the camera, framed atop the mantelpiece, only served to make it more so.

He was a little embarrassed to say it, but being able to touch Chris, _kiss_ him and hold his hand, to _come home to him_ ; it was a fucking dream come true, and Sebastian wouldn't trade it for the world. 

Things couldn't get any better.

And then Chris had to go and prove him wrong. It only took a year.

Sebastian was in their kitchen-- _their_ kitchen--barefoot and in Chris’s gym shorts, digging through the pantry for bread and peanut butter for toast. “Babe,” he called out, now on a mission to find the toaster, “We have to go shopping soon.” 

He turned when the wooden floor creaked. Chris was leaning in the doorway, naked to the waist and watching Seb with one of those tender, adoring smiles that he only ever reserved for Avery. It was the highest compliment one could receive, and it made Sebastian’s heart swell. He was wearing a chain with another blood crystal set into a Romani ring Sebastian’s mother had given to him ages ago, nestled right beside Avery’s scale medallion, and the sight of it hanging against his bare chest was causing Sebastian to feel a little teary.

He pulled out the toaster and was about to ask Chris if he wanted juice when Chris looked him dead in the eye and said, “Mate with me.”

Sebastian dropped the fucking toaster. 

That only served to make Chris’s smile widen, and he stepped into the kitchen until he was directly in front of Sebastian, bringing both hands up to frame his face. A calloused thumb reached out to wipe away the tears Sebastian hadn’t noticed began to fall, and when he looked up he saw that Chris’s eyes were wet too. He looked so fucking happy in a way he hadn’t in decades, and hell if it wasn’t a great look on him. 

Sebastian must have checked out for a bit, because Chris leaned forward to kiss one eye and then the other before laying his forehead against Sebastian’s. “Mate with me,” he said again, softer this time and full of fondness. Seb was about two seconds away from ugly crying tears of joy.

“I mean it, Seb,” Chris whispered, noses bumping against one another. “I spent centuries with Avery and I wouldn’t trade them for anything. We had our time together and it wasn’t nearly long enough, but those are years I’ll never forget. Now,” he dipped his head, lips barely brushing Seb’s while a hand caressed his cheek, “I want to spend centuries with you.”

Yeah, Sebastian was definitely bawling now.

He reached up to cover Chris’s hand with his own. “You know,” he started, voice thick with tears, “Avery used to tell me there wasn’t an equation with soulmates. You may have few, you may have many. I never understood what he was trying to say, because you and he were made for each other, and I never even had one soulmate, let alone several. Now I get it.”

Chris chuckled wetly, “He always was a smartass. And aren’t I a lucky bastard, I got to have the two best people in the world for mine.”

“So did I,” Sebastian said, squeezing his eyes shut for some reprieve. “My best friend and some loser I’m gonna spend forever with.”

“Yep.” Chris slid his other hand to Seb’s waist, rubbing soothing circles on his hip. “So what d’ya say? You ready to get matching tattoos?”

Sebastian grabbed Chris’s jaw to give him a wet kiss. “Yes. But if mine look stupid I’m punching you.”

“”If they look stupid it’s gonna be your fault, stupid.”

“Fuck you.”

Chris hummed, pressing in for another kiss before stepping back and giving Sebastian’s hand a tug. “Better get started then, before you start second guessing things.” His grin turned just this side of filthy, “Good thing it’s your night off. Might take a while.”

“I can handle it,” Sebastian smiled, swinging their arms between them when Chris started to lead them back down the hall. “Hey,” he said suddenly, as they stepped back into their room. He felt so happy and loved; it was overwhelming and he needed a minute to continue. Chris just watched him patiently, looking like a lovesick puppy.

“Do you think… Avery knows? And that’s he’s happy?”

Chris’s smile turned soft, and he pulled Seb against him in a tight embrace.

“Yeah, baby. I think he’s ecstatic.”

**Author's Note:**

> We’ve reached the end of our journey! Thank you so much for taking the time to read. This fic was a labor of love that started as a plot bunny and grew into a giant Frankenrabbit. This was both our first times co writing with not only one another, but another author. We are extremely proud of our team effort and hoped you enjoyed our story! We have many more things planned for this verse, so please keep an eye out!
> 
> We are velvetjinx and edible-crayon on tumblr. Come say hi!


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